Construction Causing Traffic Delays Along Highway 1

Construction Crews are working on a project that will improve traffic flow along Highway 1. However, since construction on the project has started traffic has increasingly worsened in the area.

Along Highway 1, there was some seriously heavy traffic over the weekend Cars were backed up at multiple intersections, and some people had even taken to parking their cars in nearby public lots and walking. The construction along Highway 1 started on April 2nd. Crews are working on creating an extension to an already existing climbing lane for trucks. The move is meant to ease up the heavy traffic along the eastern side of the highway between Rio Road and Carmel Valley Road.

“A climbing lane is when there’s a steep incline on a hill, and slower traffic moves to the right then faster traffic can move to the left, and bypass that slow traffic,” said Grant Leonard, Transportation Planner at TAMC.

However, since construction has started delays keep getting worse. One commuter says in order to get to work it now takes him double the time.

“…close to a half and hour…” and what was it like before? “Maybe 10-15 minutes,” said Sam Skogan Shift Supervisor at Starbucks located in the Crossroads Carmel Shopping Center.

Now crews are working on a way to solve the current traffic issues caused by construction delays.

“The public works department and Caltrans are looking to ease the congestion by adding another

lane, leaving the Carmel Shopping Center area and also working a little bit with the left turn lane on Highway 1,” said Grant Leonard, Transportation Planner at TAMC.

The Resource Management Agency for Monterey County monitors traffic impacts from the project in order to decide when and how to make adjustments. Some local businesses in the Crossroads Carmel Shopping Center have definitely been impacted by the recent congestion.

“I’ve noticed that it’s been really slow in the hours that we expect it to be busy.” Sam Skogen Shift Supervisor at Starbucks located in the Crossroads Carmel Shopping Center.

In addition to creating an extra traffic lane along Rio Road, detours will be put in place this weekend, to alleviate some of that congestion. The Climbing Lane project is expected to be completed in August , with hopefully improved traffic conditions to follow.