Deadly intersection on Hwy. 101 is closing as work on bridge moves ahead
A project to enhance safety at one of San Luis Obispo County’s deadliest intersections is “ahead of schedule,” and the currentcrossing will be closed for good on Monday as work to build a new bridge proceeds, Caltrans said in a news release.
The project to build an undercrossing beneath Highway 101 at Wellsona Road near Paso Robles — where six people were killed in car crashes between 2012 and 2016 and three within the past five years — will move into its next phase early.
On Monday, Caltrans will close the road median with a concrete barrier, permanently blocking traffic from crossing the highway, Caltrans District 5 Spokesman Jim Shivers told The Tribune.
No official detour will be routed as “local travelers can typically find and choose their own route and we wish not to direct traffic to a specific location,” Shivers said.
In order to put the median barrier in place, alternating highway lanes will be closed in both directions in the area overnight on Sunday from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday.
The Wellsona Safety Improvements project calls for building an 112-foot-long bridge on Highway 101 over the new undercrossing, just south of the existing intersection, eliminating the need for motorists to make left turns or drive straight across traffic on Highway 101.
A new road will connect the undercrossing with Wellsona Road on either side of Highway 101.
The $12.2 million project, which has been in the works for years and was postponed by multiple delays, is finally expected to be complete by 2026, the release said.
