Holman Highway 68 Roundabout

The Holman Highway 68 Roundabout is relieving congestion at the busy intersection of Holman Highway 68, Highway 1 ramps and 17 Mile Drive near the entrance to Pebble Beach and the Community Hospital. This project is the result of a collaborative effort and a public-private partnership between the City of Monterey, Pebble Beach Company, Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, County of Monterey, City of Pacific Grove, Caltrans and the Transportation Agency for Monterey County.

Goals

Relieve existing and future traffic congestion
Improve traffic safety
Improve traffic operations
Minimize delay of emergency vehicle access to the Community Hospital
Reduce bypass traffic through the Skyline Forest Neighborhood
Improve access to Pebble Beach, Community Hospital and Beverly Manor Development

Project History

The existing signalized intersection at Holman Highway 68 and Highway 1 ramps experiences unacceptable peak hour congestion. Congestion at this location is costly to residents, visitors and businesses and delays emergency vehicles going to and from the Community Hospital. Surrounding neighborhoods have also suffered from cut-through traffic, a byproduct of congestion on Holman Highway 68. In 2009 Caltrans adopted a project report that included upgrading the signalized intersection and widening of Holman Highway 68.

The City began to seek out alternatives to the signalized intersection and conducted a roundabout feasibility study in 2011-2012 using an Air District Grant (AB 2766 grant). The study showed that compared with the signalized intersection option, a roundabout option is:

Safer
Less Expensive
More Efficient
Cleaner (less air pollution)
More environmentally friendly (will save hundreds of Monterey Pine trees)

In 2013, the City conducted an intersection control evaluation (ICE) to confirm that a roundabout would work at the intersection of Holman Highway and 17 Mile Drive. The evaluation revealed that the roundabout design can accommodate existing and future demand.

The project is now fully funded using a combination of state, regional and local sources. The project has received funding from the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, Transportation Agency for Monterey County and Pebble Beach Company.

Project Timeline:

1993: Hwy 68 Widening Recommended to relieve congestion
2009: Hwy 68 Project Report Approved
2009: SR 68 (Holman Highway) Widening Project EIR Completed
2009 Preferred Alternative – Signalized Intersection with Roadway widening
2012: Pebble Beach Company Project EIR (Del Monte Forest) Approved
2011: Fehr & Peers Traffic Study
2011-2012: City of Monterey Roundabout Feasibility Study
2013: Draft Intersection Control Evaluation/RCAR
2013 Preferred Alternative – Roundabout

Project Background Resources

Intersection Control Evaluation Study Holman Highway Widening Project Report Roundabout Concept Design Environmental Impact Report Roundabout Technical Analysis Mitigation Monitoring Program Growth Assumptions with Presidio of Monterey Volumes Existing Conditions Report Presidio of Monterey Volumes Forest Management Plan Visual Resources Technical Study Noise Technical Study Water Quality Technical Study Hazardous Materials Technical Study Cultural Resources Technical Study Air Quality Technical Study

Environmental Impacts Comparison

Category	Project Impact	Signal	Roundabout
Visual/Aesthetics	Reduced visual quality due to: increased pavement, retaining walls and removal of vegetation
Air Quality	Short-term due to construction
Biological Resources	Removal of Monterey Pine
	Dusky-Footed Woodrat habitat
	Wetland and other waters
Hazards	ADL, asbestos & lead-based paint
Noise	Construction noise
Utilities	Relocations
All impacts are less than significant or less than significant with mitigation * No new regulations create additional impacts or required mitigation = Less significant impact between the two alternatives

Public Outreach

The goals of the public outreach and education campaign are to:

Spark internal and external stakeholders’ interest
Increase understanding of the benefits of a roundabout
Provide basic “how-to” instructions so that travelers will be confident when navigating the roundabout for the first time
Provide an environment that is comfortable and secure for asking questions
Tailor outreach strategies to address local concerns

The campaign will occur in two phases. The first phase will provide basic information about the project background, purpose and schedule , and general education about roundabouts. The second phase will provide information on staging and construction.

Roundabout Design

Wonder what the various features of the Homan Highway 68 Roundabout design look like?

May contain: landscape, nature, outdoors, scenery, aerial view, and road

Roundabout Signs and Navigation

Wayfinding signage is an important component of the Holman Highway 68 Roundabout and will help travelers navigate through the intersection to their desired destination. Below are examples of two types of signs that will be visible at the approach to the roundabout and at exits.