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Morro Bay City Council halts roundabout project

April 23, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

The Morro Bay City Council on Tuesday directed staff to stop work on the Highway 1, Highway 41, and Main Street Roundabout project.

In 2023, the city council voted 3-2 to start the process of designing the roundabout, with a total estimated cost of $12 million. At the time, Mayor Carla Wixom and City Council member Zara Landrum voted against the project primarily because of the cost.

Prior to halting the project, the city had completed 95% of the environmental reports at a cost of more than $300,000.

In the future, the city council plans to discuss options for the intersection.

 


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Put A Traffic Light.


-1

These tiny one lane rounders, do not alleviate congestion. The Main St rounder shows this. In order for a rounder to keep traffic moving at all times, requires them to be larger and multi-lane. That means the gas station would be eliminated, and the former gas station empty lot across the 41 would also have to be used. The entire roadways would need to be shifted East, away from the bridge, and the on and off ramps would need to be closed (the on/off just south will take the load), perhaps with an on/off added further North.


With multiple lanes, nobody needs to wait for a vehicle to clear the lane before entering. Big signs telling driver that if they miss their exit, just keep going around until the lane clears, and it will, for them to do so….which is how rounders are supposed to work, but too many Americans don’t know that.


Also, I laugh at the $12 million estimate. Let’s start at $20 million, hire a private contractor…not Caltrans…so it can be completed on time, or early, and within budget.


3

There’s nothing wrong with the intersection. It’s a four way stop, and not that terribly busy. No problem getting through it with a minute or two of patience and good driving.


10

Morning and evening “rush hour”, can leave cars stacked up back to Miner’s Hardware on 41. Schools getting out will also jam the roads badly.


The main problem, are the Northbound on and off ramps there, which have no controls other than a stop sign.


A really simple solution, would a controlled light that allows only one lane of traffic to move at a time: North, then South, then East, then West, then the turn lanes. Time it to, say, 40 seconds per light, and allow a dozen to 20 cars to move through. Every lane gets their own green light.


This works very well in Santa Maria, where the traffic is rather awful, but intersections do not get clogged.


9

obispan. Reckon you’re not from this area if you haven’t witnessed or experienced the utter cluster on 41 and Main Street. Toss in the beach-starved valley folks on a weekend and it’s freaking mayhem.


2

While I have not studied this intersection in terms of design solutions, it seems that round-a-bouts are the the new rage among transportation planners these days. Perhaps it is the best solution for this intersection, or perhaps not. But why would it cost $12m? Demolition, asphalt paving, concrete curbs, signs. And maybe some landscaping….at prevailing wage.


7

Note to the City: Please place a traffic cop out there during the 3:00 O’Clock M-F afternoon hour pronto!!!


4

You mean a traffic babysitter?


-1

I was blessed with having to navigate through that messy intersection at 3:00 yesterday. Holy Cow! It was all I could think of for the rest if the day, relieved on the back of my mind that something was being done about this. Immediately shutting off the Main Street frontage road on the North and South sides from 41 would be my first suggestion. Never saw such a calamity in all of my 50 years of driving. Too many people doing their own thing! A full-on 4-way lighted stop is in order here. A roundabout will never work. For now, I imagine a traffic cop directing in the middle of the 3:00 O’clock mess, blowing the whistle, dancing and waving his arms. (I can dream, can’t I?!) Let’s do this!!!


10

It’s not difficult… First come first serve. Pay attention and take your turn. Simple.


-1

If only..


5

A pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the highway would alleviate some of the problem… also… and this won’t be popular but keep students on campus for lunch… when large groups of students cross it can back autos up… and finally a stop light with green arrow left turns…


-2

A shame. This would be a much needed improvement for an area that can often become a bottleneck. I guess the major problem would be the pedestrians coming over from the high school at lunch to the liquor store and Taco Bell.


-9

This goes beyond pathetic. Morro bay changes city council every 2 years and completely changes direction. It demonstrates that morro bay has no strategic direction. It’s whoever yells the loudest. Main st hghway 41 intersection is a mess. Roundabouts are safer, but that would mean the locals might have to learn how to drive properly. Let’s not cause that to happen!


Let’s just keep morro bay a quaint fishing village!! I would like to know where that quaint village is? All I see is a town full of people who have way too much time on their hands and politicians who want to be a big fish in a little pond.


12

Ditto. Vehicular traffic in Morro Bay is very busy now and the town is no longer quaint.


8

Ive tried reaching out to Yvonne several times and have not got a single response. Trash leadership prioritizing tourists over locals :/


16

Yup, and it’s astonishing how many of its citizens are experts in land use, engineering , and transportation planning.


-2