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Two new roundabouts and a trail are coming to San Luis Obispo - but the project will take years to complete.
San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, or SLOCOG, in partnership with Caltrans and RICK Engineering, are moving forward with design plans for the State Route 227 Enhancement Project, according to a news release.
The project will bring new roundabouts to Highway 227 at Los Ranchos Road and Buckley Road, as well as safety improvements at Crestmont Drive.
The Edna-Price Canyon Trail - a new 1.2-mile walking and biking path - will also be developed along the highway corridor, running between Airport Drive and Los Ranchos Road, the release said.
“These improvements are designed to make driving, biking and walking in south SLO safer and more efficient for everyone,” SLOCOG said.
Why new roundabouts, trail are coming to Highway 227 in SLO
The two new roundabouts and trail planned in San Luis Obispo will ease traffic and create safer conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, SLOCOG said.
Currently, Highway 227 is a major thoroughfare used by about 15,000 vehicles per day, with frequent recurring congestion and delays, especially “at intersections during the morning and afternoon commute hours,” according to the project’s website.
SLOCOG and Caltrans found that the route often used by travelers commuting between South County and San Luis Obispo has ongoing traffic and safety issues that must be addressed.
The council said the two incoming roundabouts will effectively ease congestion, slow down drivers and reduce the severity of car crashes. The crossings at the roundabouts will be safer for pedestrians and cyclists, the release said.
The 1.2-mile shared-use path will also “provide a safe, convenient bike and pedestrian route linking neighborhoods, schools, and local destinations,” SLOCOG said.
When will Highway 227 project be finished?
The new roundabouts and trail will take at least another two years to finish, SLOCOG transportation planner Stephen Hanamaikai told The Tribune.
The project is still in the design phase until mid-to-late 2027.
So far, the roundabout at Highway 227 and Los Ranchos Road is the only fully funded piece of the project, Hanamaikai said. Construction on that roundabout is expected to start in late 2027 or early 2028.
It will then take around 12 to 18 months to build the roundabout, he said.
Hanamaikai said SLOCOG has applied for grants to complete funding for both the Buckley Road roundabout and the Edna-Price Canyon trail. The council will hear back by the end of the year on whether they have been awarded the grants.
If SLOCOG does win the funding, construction for the second roundabout and trail will follow a similar construction timeline, with roadwork starting by early 2028 and ending by mid-2029, Hanamaikai told The Tribune.
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