Comment period opens on CEQA documents for Pioneer Trail/ US50 roundabout

MEYERS, Calif. - The environmental documents have been completed for the planned roundabout for the intersection of US50 and Pioneer Trail in Meyers.

The County of El Dorado is the project sponsor and lead agency, in cooperation with the California Department of Transportation. They are proposing to convert the existing signalized intersection at the US50/SR89 and Pioneer Trail In Meyers into a three-leg modern roundabout. This is part of their improvement project, the Pioneer Trail/US Highway 50 Intersection Safety Improvement Project.

The proposed project would remove the four existing traffic signals at the US50/Pioneer Trail intersection and replace the intersection with the roundabout which would include standard roundabout geometric features such as shared-use paths, crosswalks, splitter islands, truck apron with central island, and landscape buffer between the circulatory roadway and shared-use path.

The project would also construct permanent site drainage improvements to protect water quality, such as an infiltration basin.

From August 2 until September 2, 2021, the public can review the environmental documents and make comments.

According to the documents, once constructed the project would improve safety and mobility for all modes of travel, include lighting and signage, reduce reliance on private automobiles, provide multimodal transportation improvements like visible crosswalks and a shared-use path for pedestrian and bicycle movements, provide opportunity for future growth of transit facilities to enhance circulation, and provide opportunities to experience Meyers as a pedestrian or cyclist. Once implemented, the project would close a major gap in the area’s active transportation system by providing full access for non-motorist users to the neighboring amenities.

The 1,260 page document can be found on the County website HERE and on the CEQA website HERE.

El Dorado County intends to adopt the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration/Initial Environmental Checklist for the project. Comments during the review period regarding the Mitigated Negative Declaration should be directed to:

Donaldo Palaroan, P.E., Senior Civil Engineer
El Dorado County, Department of Transportation
924 B Emerald Bay Road
South Lake Tahoe, California 96150

Comments may also be submitted electronically via email to donaldo.palaroan@edcgov.us.

Failure to comment in writing will not preclude your right to comment at any public hearing for the proposed project. The Board of Supervisors is anticipated to consider this document in November 2021.