Residents of San Luis Obispo can expect change as the city pushes forward with its $11 million investment to improve roads and neighborhoods through a series of projects called SLO in Motion.
As part of SLO in Motion, the city has begun the 2023 Arterial Paving Project. The project’s goals are to update paved areas across town to provide increased safety and accessibility. The Paving Project is already underway with the construction started in the summer of 2023 and expected to finish by mid 2024.
Monterey St., California Blvd., Johnson Ave., Santa Barbara Ave. and Orcutt Road have already or will soon receive improvements.
Work on the downtown portion of the project is planned to start in early 2024 to avoid the tourist season. Local businesses should be prepared for some inconveniences during the construction phase, such as noise, temporary delays, detours and periodic road closures, according to the City of San Luis Obispo website.
To mitigate the impact, the city has said it will provide affected businesses with at least 30 hours’ notice before construction near their location as well as offer online updates on road and construction progress.
Architectural engineering student Roger Biddle recalls his most recent encounter with part of the project’s construction.
“I had to take a detour on Santa Barbara Street which put me out a couple of minutes,” Biddle said. “I sat at a red light for probably 10 minutes before I realized it was out of order. There wasn’t a sign or anyone around to move traffic along and that light got backed up fast.”
The city has deemed the updates necessary as San Luis Obispo is one of the oldest incorporated cities in the state. SLO in Motion’s website keeps the community updated about the project’s progress.