Expect long delays during Union Road repairs

Posted: 1:01 pm, August 26, 2014 by Publisher Scott Brennan

Expect up to 30 minutes delay, use Creston and Golden Hill Road instead

Union Road is now under construction from Kleck Road to Montebello Oaks. The first item to be constructed is the new water line. During construction of the water line, the road will remain open and traffic will be monitored with flag control personnel and signage.

Although Union Road is open during water line construction, expect up to 20 to 30 minutes delay. It is recommended that drivers use Creston and Golden Hill Roads instead of Union Road. The construction contract was awarded to G. Sosa Construction of Santa Maria. R. Baker is the subcontractor performing the water line portion of the work.

Council approves $ 2,836,500 for Union Road repairs

Union Road in disrepair.

Original post Feb. 6, 2014: The section of Union Road between Kleck Road and Montebello Oaks Drive is in for some major improvements. This week the Paso Robles City Council approved $2,836,500 in improvements for the road.

The short stretch of road is now in serious disrepair, too narrow, with a blind hilly curve intersected by private driveways and a misaligned intersection at Walnut Drive. It is a heavily traveled east/west thoroughfare serving 10,800 vehicle trips daily, according to a city report.

In meetings with the community last year, two major issues came up with the stretch of road: controlling the speed of travel and providing a safe way to cross Union Road from the south to the north as a new sidewalk will be installed on the north side.

To address these concerns, the final design includes the two electronic flashing devices to notify motorists to slow down, a painted crosswalks and a raised pedestrian refuge island at Montebello Oaks.

The project will improve visibility by decreasing the existing crest on the road. This will lower the existing road profile by two or three feet in elevation and means a 12-foot high retaining wall will need to be installed along the south side of the road. It also means existing utilities in the road need to be lowered, including waterlines, a high-pressure gas main, communication lines, cable TV lines, electrical lines and poles.

The project will re-align the intersection of Walnut Dr. at Union Road to provide a more standard “T” intersection. The city will also install bike lanes and improve the surface of the road with assistance of a Bicycle Transportation Grant in the amount of $533,500.