EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. – The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors approved two items on Tuesday that move forward the continued planning of a new roundabout at the intersection of US-50 and Pioneer Trail in Meyers.
Officially named the Pioneer Trail/ U.S. Highway 50 Intersection Safety Improvement Roundabout Project, the supervisors adopted its California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Mitigated Negative Declaration by a unanimous vote.
The safety project is an El Dorado County project, and not Caltrans as was the other roundabout in Meyers at US-50 and SR-89. The County said they took the lead as Caltrans did not have it high on its priority list. John Kahling, the county’s deputy director of engineering, said they wanted to do it for safety reasons and have the support of Caltrans.
At this time there is one crosswalk at the current stoplight, on its northern side which isn’t highly utilized. The new layout will create connectivity between Pioneer Trail and US-50, eliminating the current deficiencies according to Kahling.
The supervisors and staff said the current roundabout at the other end of Meyers is working, as did callers into the meeting. They said there have been no backups during normal days and they appreciated the flow of traffic.
The two roundabouts will better define the boundaries of Meyers, a goal of the Meyers Area Plan.
The drawings in the photos above are still in the development stage and show the plans at the 30 percent completed stage. Design features will include a bypass lane like the other roundabout, from the traffic moving from the Y to Meyers. There will be a free turn lane for those heading north so drivers don’t have to get into the roundabout to turn right onto Pioneer.
The County said they wouldn’t have gone forward with this roundabout if the first one wasn’t successful. They’ve worked with Lake Valley Fire and law enforcement to ensure their needs have been met in the project.
The non-motorized movement will be better provided for in the roundabout with a direct connection between bike and walking paths.
During the CEQA public comment period in August, the County received several comments both in favor of and against the planned roundabout. As required, the County Department of Transportation (DOT) responded to each comment opposing the project and address their concerns.
Donaldo Palaroan, the senior civil engineer for DOT, said the roundabout is designed to handle large traffic volumes such as those that are seen on typical Fridays and Sundays during summer months. Grid-lock as is known in Meyers on major holidays cannot be stopped by either a roundabout or traffic light, Palaroan noted.
Construction of the roundabout will provide improved safety, he answered on the CEQA, and will give these improvements to the intersection:
• Bicycle lanes on approaches to the roundabout, including bicycle connectivity to all existing adjacent Class 1 pathways
• Removal and replacement of existing shared-use path to accommodate the
new intersection
• New shared-use paths to connect to existing paths
• Removal and replacement of existing signage as needed
• Crosswalks across all three legs of the new intersection
All pedestrian facilities will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility requirements. All crossings would be marked with the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)-compliant crosswalk markings and signing.
Funding for the roundabout will come from Highway Safety Improvement Program (40.44%), Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Air Quality Mitigation Funds (2.96%), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (14.21%), Regional Surface Transportation Program (1.58%), To Be Determined (Federal,
State, and Local Grants) (40.8%).
Backup material for the roundabout agenda item can be found HERE.