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Council approves design contract amendment for Del Rio/US‑101 corridor
Summary
Atascadero City Council approved a contract amendment to advance design work on the Del Rio/US‑101 corridor, adopting a three‑phase concept that includes a westbound-to-northbound turn lane, Ramona Road realignment and future south‑ramp improvements; council emphasized coordination with conditioned private frontage work.
Atascadero City Council voted unanimously May 12 to approve a design contract amendment for the Del Rio/US‑101 corridor intended to mitigate traffic as private development proceeds.
City staff presented a three‑phase concept: phase 1 would add a westbound‑to‑northbound right‑turn lane and related retaining‑wall and signal relocation work; phase 2 would realign Ramona Road; and phase 3 would focus on improvements at the south ramp and adjoining Del Rio frontage. Director DeMar said the approach prioritizes “orderly development along the corridor” and makes use of special mitigation fees collected in the Del Rio specific plan to fund a portion of the work.
Council members and residents pressed staff on details of lane configuration and repaving. A resident said local traffic patterns have shifted with new businesses and urged a dedicated right‑turn lane at the El Camino Real/Del Rio intersection near Valley Fresh. Director DeMar described the plans as conceptual and said final engineering will address lane geometry, signal placement and Caltrans permitting. He noted private developers (Barrel Creek, Del Rio Ranch) are conditioned to complete certain frontage improvements and that designing the corridor now will help the city secure permits and prepare shovel‑ready construction documents.
The council approved the consent item containing the contract amendment on a unanimous roll call. The item will move into the design phase; staff said detailed plans and further refinements will be returned to council as they are developed.
Next steps: staff will continue design work, coordinate with Caltrans and developers on frontage obligations, and present refined plans and cost estimates to the council for future phases.
