Driving on Highway 46 West? Construction on roundabout is entering new stage

Travelers on Highway 46 West will once again encounter a four-way stop at Vineyard Drive, as Caltrans works to build a roundabout at the busy intersection near Templeton.

The temporary four-way stop will be in place starting Friday, according to Caltrans.

The intersection had been a four-way stop since 2017. Before that, drivers on Vineyard Drive had to wait at stop signs for a gap in through traffic to turn onto the state highway.

Construction on the roundabout began in June 2020.

Travelers are advised to allocate extra time for the scenic drive across the pass between Cambria and Paso Robles.

CalPortland Construction of Santa Maria is the contractor on the $4 million project, which is expected to be complete sometime this summer.

Motorists should move over, slow down and obey all speed limits and stop signs as they approach the intersection, remembering that there will be stepped-up CHP enforcement in this active construction zone, and penalties for violations are doubled.

This story was originally published February 23, 2021 at 5:50 PM.

Kathe Tanner

The Tribune

805-781-7904 (voicemails only)

Kathe Tanner has been writing about the people and places of SLO County’s North Coast since 1981, first as a columnist and then also as a reporter. Her career has included stints as a bakery owner, public relations director, radio host, trail guide and jewelry designer. She has been a resident of Cambria for more than four decades, and if it’s happening in town, Kathe knows about it.