Tank Farm Road closing as roundabout construction gets underway in SLO
A portion of Tank Farm Road in San Luis Obispo will close for three months to all traffic starting Friday as part of an ongoing roundabout construction project.
SLO officials said in a news release that two blocks of Tank Farm Road will be blocked between Wavertree Street and Orcutt Road near Islay Hill Park until December, and travelers are asked to take alternate routes.
“When this roundabout is finished, the community can expect significantly improved traffic flow and roadway safety in that area,” Project Manager Jennifer Rice said in a statement. “We’re working to minimize impacts to surrounding residents and the area’s commuters by completing this project in five phases. Anyone curious about the project can visit www.slocity.org/roundabouts for more information or follow the City of SLO on social media for regularly scheduled updates.”
The closure is part of the project’s second phase.
Orcutt Road will remain open to provide a temporary bypass to both Johnson Avenue and Broad Street.
Those using the detour should expect delays and plan additional time into their trips and drive cautiously, the release noted.
“Our construction team is working as safely and efficiently as possible to build the new roundabout in a way that minimizes impacts to our community members, including residents, commuters and visitors,” Rice said. “The traffic staging of this project was designed to decrease overall construction duration and inconveniences to travelers.”
Any alternative routes that travelers may use to avoid the detour streets closest to the project are encouraged as well.
Rice told The Tribune: “The recommendation for travelers to use an alternate route is so that they can avoid the intersection altogether, as even the open legs of the intersection may cause delay/slow down due to the work. The construction zone will be signed at 20 miles per hour.”
The city added that according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, roundabouts are safer and more sustainable than other than other types of intersections and reduce the risk of dangerous collisions.
Construction on the Orcutt/Tank Farm Roundabout is expected to be completed in Spring 2022.
“Souza Engineering Contracting Inc. and Cannon, the project’s construction management firm, will be working with SLO and other project partners to ensure that all temporary road closures and detours run as smoothly as possible,” the city noted.
For more information, including project updates, go to www.cityofslo.org/roundabouts or follow the city on Facebook or Instagram.
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