Golden Hill Road/ Union Road Intersection Improvements

 

Location

Golden Hill Road/ Union Road

City or County Responsible for Project

City of Paso Robles

Category

Roads: Efficient and Sustainable Road Maintenance, Construction and Reconstruction Projects.

Description

The Golden Hill Road/Union Road intersection was known as the “worst intersection in town.” Constrained by existing development the highly skewed stop-controlled intersection caused driver confusion resulting in congestion and limiting accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists. For years the City of Paso Robles evaluated potential improvements such as signalization, realignment, and a multilane roundabout; however, all options required extensive property acquisition and eventually stalled. The City then sought the expertise of the Wallace Group team to devise an innovative solution.
The outcome of our team’s efforts was a “dog bone” shaped roundabout—the first of its kind in the region—that avoided private property acquisition by limiting the roadway footprint to be within the existing paved area. CCTC analyzed the single lane roundabout traffic operations and determined that it would operate well with significantly less delay than the stop-controlled intersection. Shared-use paths around the perimeter of the roundabout with high-visibility crosswalks, vegetated buffers, and bike ramps would also create safe and accessible multimodal facilities at this previously vehicle-centric intersection.
The design also reduced impervious surfaces and drained runoff into bioretention planters to address stormwater requirements. Earthwork, pavement, and construction costs were reduced by recycling the existing structural section using full depth reclamation. The City used this project as an opportunity to replace aging asbestos cement waterlines, install a new sanitary sewer mainline and stub to a future development, and coordinate the installation of new broadband conduit for a City-wide project.
Throughout planning, design, and construction, the City regularly updated the public through in person meetings and online outreach and education. The Wallace Group team supported these efforts by creating illustrative renderings and a calibrated simulation of circulating vehicles using the roundabout. Outreach also included educating the public on the many benefits of roundabouts and how to drive roundabouts. Throughout construction, the City maintained an informative project website and was quick to respond to public concerns and questions.
Granite Construction was selected to bring this design to life, with Cannon overseeing day-to-day construction management to ensure adherence to the project goals and schedule. Even when faced with a last-minute challenge—a local company’s desire to traverse the intersection with a massive 107-foot-long, nine-axle equipment trailer—the team swiftly modified the roundabout in 3D to accommodate this unexpected permit truck. Remarkably, despite Paso Robles experiencing unprecedented rainstorms throughout the project, the team successfully completed the project on time and opened it to the public before the Independence Day holiday in 2023!