New ‘dog bone’ shaped roundabout open to traffic
Ribbon-cutting ceremony to be held later this month
– The City of Paso Robles Public Works Department has announced the official opening of the highly anticipated roundabout at the intersection of Golden Hill and Union Roads. As of Thursday morning, motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists may now use the roundabout. The detours signs will be taken down as soon as possible, according to the city.
The roundabout includes two circles that drivers must navigate on Golden Hill near Union. Yield signs are posted to advise drivers of the right-of-way. Early Thursday afternoon, some motorists drove tentatively, but traffic moved smoothly through the new configuration.
If you drive through the new roundabout, you are advised to heed the “Yield” signs and proceed through the roundabout cautiously.
Painters completed striping the roadway Thursday morning for that new roundabout.
To commemorate this milestone in transportation infrastructure development, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Friday, June 23, at 10 a.m. Parking for the ribbon-cutting will be in the PRJUSD auxiliary lot, accessed via Union Road, just west of the bus barn.
The Golden Hill and Union Roundabout is designed to enhance traffic flow and improve safety on the east side of Paso Robles. This modern roundabout design replaces the previous angled four-way stop intersection, addressing congestion issues, and providing a safer and more efficient transportation network for residents, commuters, and visitors now and into the future, according to the city. Construction was funded with $5.6 million in Development Impact Fees and a $360,000 grant from the SLO County Council of Governments.
City officials, project contractors, and community leaders will gather at the roundabout site on June 23 to celebrate this momentous occasion. The event will commence with remarks from Ditas Esperanza, Capital Projects Engineer, and Mayor Pro Tem John Hamon.
Following the speeches, a ceremonial ribbon cutting will take place.
The roundabout’s innovative dog bone-shaped design boasts several advantages over traditional intersections, including reduced congestion, smoother traffic flow, and decreased accident rates. By providing a continuous circular movement of traffic, the roundabout minimizes the need for traffic signals and stop signs, allowing for a more efficient and safer driving experience for all road users, the city says.
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