Caltrans on track to build roundabout in Meyers
Caltrans is contemplating a roundabout in Meyers. Map/Caltrans
By Lake Tahoe News
Caltrans is moving forward with making improvements at the intersection of highways 50 and 89 in Meyers.
“A roundabout isn’t the only option being looked it. A signal and design changes to the intersection are also being considered,” Steve Nelson, spokesman for Caltrans, told Lake Tahoe News. “That being said, it is fair to say that the project development team believes a roundabout is the best option to meet the purpose and need of the project, which is safety improvement to reduce collisions and reduce the severity of collisions.”
The project is in the environmental review phase. That should be finished in November.
Caltrans has been working with the Meyers Community Council, El Dorado County, Tahoe Transportation District and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
It is projected to cost $3.15 million. The money is in hand from the federal government.
The timeline includes having the right-of-way acquisition and design completed in January 2018, construction beginning in September 2018 and completion in March 2020.
For now, that is the only improvement to the state highway in Meyers.
“There has been interest expressed for a roundabout at 50 and Pioneer Trail, but Caltrans doesn’t have any other projects currently programmed in Meyers,” Nelson said.
Really! How is this going to help the Sunday exodus of tourists over the hill?
It will not.
This roundabout will be completely packed with tourists trying to get over Echo Summit on any given weekend or holiday or weather day. How will everyone else get around, including emergency vehicles. A stop light, with a merge lane turning right from hwy 89 onto hwy 50 east bound and reduced speed limit are better solutions. In fact, reduced speed limits on hwy 50, pioneer trail and in our neighborhoods would be perfect ! And heavy enforcement !
I am not sure if it will work or not (I am not a traffic engineer) but there sure are a lot of them being built including north shore and Truckee. Is it being suggested Cal Trans would knowingly build it and make conditions worse? Is there any way we can see the studies that recommended this?
“reduce collisions and the severity of collisions”
Easy, reduce the speed limit farther uphill before North Upper Truckee to 40 and 35 before reaching the intersection of 89.
Make people slow down, even if caltrans studies say people want to go faster.
Carl, Do 6 lane freeways work somewhere, if so why not here?
People may want to review this national study on traffic circles by the National Highway Association.
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_672.pdf
Also check out the following slide presentation from Cal Trans on traffic circles on California Highways.
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist6/ppm/calmentor/042214/docs/calmentor_roundabout_presentation042214.pdf
There are now over 3,500 traffic circles in the U.S. and they are growing geometrically Cal Trans is putting them all over highways in this state so they are working and being implemented.
Based on the data and conclusions in the above we probably should have put one at the Y.