Paso Robles is getting a new bridge to help with highway traffic. Here’s how
A new bridge is being built in Paso Robles — and it’s supposed to help relieve traffic in one of the city’s busiest areas.
The South Vine Bridge project is part of a plan to connect South Vine Street with Theatre Drive at Highway 46. It’s part of a multi-phased plan aimed at improving traffic patterns near the Highway 46 and Highway 101 interchange.
According to Paso Robles capital projects engineer Ditas Esperanza, the project was born from an agreement between the city, San Luis Obispo Council of Governments and Caltrans after Target was approved for development off Theatre Drive.
The first phase of the project was the relocation of Theatre Drive, which took place around 2011, The Tribune previously reported.
Now, the city is working on phase two: building the South Vine Bridge, which will help connect South Vine Street to the intersection of Theatre Drive and Highway 46, she said.
Phases three and four, which are in the planning process, would convert the existing on- and off-ramps connecting Highway 101 to Highway 46 into roundabouts to further help keep traffic flowing.
The hope, said Esperanza, is to relieve traffic congestion on Highway 101 and along the backroads.
The estimated cost of the bridge is $15 million, according to city documents. The work is funded by the general fund, impact fees and grants, Esperanza told The Tribune.
The Paso Robles City Council most recently approved a nearly $840,000 contract with a construction management firm that will help oversee the bridge construction. The bridge is expected to be complete within 200 working days of its start, Esperanza said.
Esperanza said the construction will likely have some traffic impacts, she believes the city will be better for it in the end.
“Hopefully, people will be patient and let the process through,” she added. “And at one point it will be done, and we will all rejoice.”
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