The expanded northbound lanes of Rancho Santa Fe Road between San Elijo Road and Melrose Drive are now open to traffic. This is one of the final pieces of the three-year road widening construction project.
"We appreciate everyone's patience during construction. I think commuters will agree the new road was worth the wait," said Claude A. "Bud" Lewis, mayor of Carlsbad.
The road now has two lanes in each direction between San Elijo Road and Melrose Drive. Landscaping work will still be under way in the median through this summer. Once the median work is complete, all three lanes in both directions, northbound and southbound, will be open.
Last October, all traffic on Rancho Santa Fe Road between San Elijo Road and Melrose Drive was routed to the newly constructed southbound lanes. This allowed for construction of the new northbound bridge and expansion of the northbound lanes.
Phase 1 of the project, which included realigning a 1.7-mile section of the road between La Costa Avenue and San Elijo Road, was completed in May 2005. The second and final phase of the project, which includes the portion of Rancho Santa Fe Road between San Elijo Road and Melrose Drive, began in May 2004.
Rancho Santa Fe Road is a major thoroughfare through North County. Currently there are 35,000 average daily car trips on Rancho Santa Fe Road, and by 2020 the city expects that number to grow to 50,000 average daily trips.
"Addressing traffic is important as we proceed with our Growth Management Plan," said Lewis. "The completion of improvements to Rancho Santa Fe Road is a real, tangible step toward keeping traffic moving in our city."
For more information regarding the Rancho Santa Fe Road Improvement Project, please call the project information line at 760-744-5339 or visit the City of Carlsbad's website at: www.ci.carlsbad.ca.us/engineering/2engnotice.html.
"We appreciate everyone's patience during construction. I think commuters will agree the new road was worth the wait," said Claude A. "Bud" Lewis, mayor of Carlsbad.
The road now has two lanes in each direction between San Elijo Road and Melrose Drive. Landscaping work will still be under way in the median through this summer. Once the median work is complete, all three lanes in both directions, northbound and southbound, will be open.
Last October, all traffic on Rancho Santa Fe Road between San Elijo Road and Melrose Drive was routed to the newly constructed southbound lanes. This allowed for construction of the new northbound bridge and expansion of the northbound lanes.
Phase 1 of the project, which included realigning a 1.7-mile section of the road between La Costa Avenue and San Elijo Road, was completed in May 2005. The second and final phase of the project, which includes the portion of Rancho Santa Fe Road between San Elijo Road and Melrose Drive, began in May 2004.
Rancho Santa Fe Road is a major thoroughfare through North County. Currently there are 35,000 average daily car trips on Rancho Santa Fe Road, and by 2020 the city expects that number to grow to 50,000 average daily trips.
"Addressing traffic is important as we proceed with our Growth Management Plan," said Lewis. "The completion of improvements to Rancho Santa Fe Road is a real, tangible step toward keeping traffic moving in our city."
For more information regarding the Rancho Santa Fe Road Improvement Project, please call the project information line at 760-744-5339 or visit the City of Carlsbad's website at: www.ci.carlsbad.ca.us/engineering/2engnotice.html.