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Board approves CEQA addendum and interim design for Ponderosa/US‑50 interchange; contractors, DOT to work with property owners
Summary
Supervisors approved an addendum to the interchange project environmental review and endorsed preliminary design work to realign North Shingle and Duroc frontage roads and add roundabouts; the board approved the addendum and project revisions and directed staff to work with impacted property owners during final design.
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on April 1 to adopt an addendum to the environmental review for the Ponderosa Road/US‑50 interchange project and to approve the project as revised, clearing the way for preliminary right‑of‑way and final design work for the North Shingle Road realignment and associated frontage‑road improvements.
Matt Smeltzer, deputy director of the Department of Transportation, described the project as a phased improvement to relieve operational and safety deficiencies at the 1960s interchange. The approved interim design repositions North Shingle Road and Duroc Drive, adds roundabouts at two frontage intersections, and preserves a future phase for bridge widening or replacement across US‑50 that is not funded at this time.
DOT emphasized that the current approvals cover preliminary design and that staff will not start right‑of‑way acquisition or final design until subsequent steps are completed. Rafael Martinez, director of Transportation, and Smeltzer said the plan balances earthwork by sequencing phases 1 and 2 together so dirt exported from one alignment can be used for the other, which reduces cost. They noted updated traffic analyses showing significant delay reductions with the interim improvements and said Caltrans has reviewed the updated technical studies.
Members of the public raised site‑specific concerns at the March 19 public meeting and again at the board hearing: increased vehicle emissions and exposure for a nearby daycare, potential driveway and access impacts for adjacent businesses, flood‑related drainage questions and the need for roundabout radii that can safely accommodate trucks and trailers. Rafael Martinez said DOT will involve impacted property owners and stakeholders during the ~60% design stage to address driveway alignments and drainage, and that the roundabout designs will be sized to accommodate large vehicles where necessary.
The board approved the addendum and the revised project design with an explicit direction that staff work with affected stakeholders during the final design and right‑of‑way process. Staff said next steps include completing NEPA to support federal funding applications, initiating the right‑of‑way process and finishing final design with a goal of advertising construction in 2027, contingent on funding.
