Caltrans District 10 staff on April 16 presented the City of Los Banos with proposed roundabout designs and a major pavement rehabilitation that officials said would improve safety and circulation but require substantial funding and an accelerated schedule.

Caltrans identified a hybrid two‑lane roundabout at Walter Road and Highway 152 with a current capital construction estimate of $27,000,000 and a single‑lane roundabout at Wilmot Avenue and State Route 165 estimated at $6,700,000. Caltrans staff said both projects remain in the environmental phase; Walter Road’s environmental work is expected to finish in April 2026, with design accelerated to be ready for construction work to follow, and the Wilmot/165 project design targeted for completion in early 2028.

The presentation also covered a larger pavement rehabilitation project (EA 1E980) stretching roughly from west of Badger Flat Road to east of Saint Louis Street. Caltrans said the scope expanded during concept development — adding roughly 8,000 linear feet of sidewalk and about 5,000 linear feet of bike lane where previously there had been none — and that the construction capital estimate for the corridor rose to about $27,000,000 (previously about $22,000,000). Staff said the agency must complete design and be ready to advertise for construction by June 2026 or risk losing the project funding, and that Caltrans headquarters has directed District 10 to deliver on the 2026 cycle.

Caltrans staff, including Anand Kapoor (chief of project management) and Arvindur Bajwa (chief of traffic operations), emphasized safety benefits they attribute to roundabouts: fewer conflict points, reduced severity of broadside collisions and lower vehicle speeds at crossings, which can increase pedestrian survivability. Engineers showed operational examples and live camera footage from other California roundabouts to demonstrate truck tracking, bypass lanes and design features such as splitter islands, truck aprons and high‑visibility crosswalks.

Council members and residents pressed Caltrans on local concerns. Questions focused on signage and lighting, driver education for nonstandard “turbo” roundabouts where lane discipline is required, pedestrian crossing treatments at the Wilmot/165 site and how monument locations and right‑of‑way constraints shaped design choices at the West I Street/152 intersection. Caltrans staff said some proposed features — for example, a dedicated left‑turn lane on the northbound approach to 152 — were removed because of right‑of‑way and monument impacts, and that a split‑phase signal may be used to improve safety without acquiring additional property.

Caltrans acknowledged the higher upfront construction cost of some roundabouts versus signals but said lifecycle benefits often outweigh that difference through reduced long‑term maintenance, lower delay and fewer severe collisions.

Councilmembers and staff asked for more design detail on pedestrian lighting and on‑the‑ground crosswalk options; Caltrans said staff will continue coordination with the city during environmental and design phases and will seek opportunities to integrate gateway landscaping, canal‑side pathways where feasible and coordination on project staging. Caltrans also said some roundabouts in the district are already built and performing well, and that district staff expect to continue public outreach as projects advance.

Next steps: Caltrans will complete the Walter Road environmental phase, continue accelerated design work and coordinate with city staff on scope, right‑of‑way issues and community outreach. The pavement rehab is on an aggressive delivery schedule that Caltrans said requires close collaboration with the city to preserve funding and meet the June 2026 readiness date.