Carlsbad CA- The City of Carlsbad has closed Carlsbad Boulevard north of Mountain View Drive to northbound traffic so workers can complete construction of a roundabout at the intersection of State Street and Carlsbad Boulevard.
Motorists who want to continue north on Carlsbad Boulevard to Oceanside will be diverted east on Grand Avenue, then north on State Street around the construction site and back onto Carlsbad Boulevard, to continue their trips north across Buena Vista Lagoon. Motorists traveling south on Carlsbad Boulevard will not be able to turn onto State Street, but will access State Street by turning east on Grand Avenue. Detour signs will clearly mark the way.
“The majority of the construction work, including the west half of the roundabout, is complete,” said City of Carlsbad Construction Manager John Maashoff. “It will take approximately two weeks to construct the eastern half of the roundabout, and at that point we’ll open the intersection back up to traffic.” Maashoff said the city expects to open the new roundabout in May.
The single-lane roundabout will make it safer for all travelers to pass through the intersection, which marks the city’s traditional northern gateway. Vehicle travel lanes will be reduced from three to two across the lagoon to provide room for the Coastal Rail Trail, a sidewalk, and bicycle lanes in each direction, without encroaching on the lagoon preserve.
The roundabout project also includes new bicycle lanes in both directions, a sidewalk on the east side of Carlsbad Boulevard, and construction of a segment of the Coastal Rail Trail, a bicycle and pedestrian trail that parallels the railroad tracks. The sidewalk is completed but is temporarily closed during construction. Bicycle lanes are striped and will be usable when the roundabout opens, along with the rest of the roadway.
When completed, the Coastal Rail Trail will connect the San Luis Rey River in Oceanside with the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego. The trail segment linking Oak Avenue in northern Carlsbad to southern Oceanside will open with the roundabout. “Sharrow lanes” on State Street — lanes shared by vehicles and bicycles — will mark the Coastal Rail Trail portion between the roundabout and Oak Avenue. To learn more about the Coastal Rail Trail in Carlsbad, click here.
The roundabout will also make it possible for vehicles to move in any direction between the two roadways for the first time. Under the intersection’s old Y-shaped configuration, vehicles traveling north on either Carlsbad Boulevard or State Street could not turn south onto the other street, but were forced to travel north to Oceanside and then turn around.
The new roundabout will also feature artwork that will welcome people as they cross Buena Vista Lagoon and enter Carlsbad from Oceanside. The sculpture, “CoastalHelix” by artist Roger White Stoller, will be installed this summer. Landscaping and art installation will take place after the roundabout opens. To read more about the roundabout artwork, click here.
The State Street/Carlsbad Boulevard roundabout will be the first roundabout on the coastal Historic Highway 101 in North County, and it will mark the first major construction project in Carlsbad designed to ease traffic and remove barriers to pedestrians, bicyclists and others wishing to access Carlsbad’s coast along the coastal highway. The roundabout is part of the City of Carlsbad’s “livable streets” program, which recognizes that streets should be designed for everyone, not just people in cars. Watch a video about livable streets.
The city awarded a contract in the amount of $996,000 to Portillo Concrete Inc. to construct the roundabout. An $800,000 Active Transportation Grant from the San Diego Association of Governments, and money from the city’s Gas Tax Fund are funding the project. The city has contracted with Dudek, an Encinitas-based engineering and environmental firm, to manage the project.