Information provided by Caltrans District 5. Editor’s note: This article was updated to reflect new date of construction.
Caltrans announced construction work on the roundabout at the intersection of Highways 25 and 156 will resume on Oct. 17. According to the release, work had been paused to make a design adjustment for a signal change configuration.
Caltrans said all lane closures and expected travel delays associated with construction will be announced a week before the start of work.
It added during construction the speed limit throughout the construction zone will be reduced to 35 mph, which applies to all approaches to the intersection as a safety measure for construction crews and travelers.
“Designed to advance safety, the roundabout project is expected to reduce the number and severity of collisions at the intersection of State Routes 25 and 156 where the current signalized intersection is experiencing a pattern of broadside and rear end collisions due to a recurrence of red light runs,” the release said.
The contractor for this $10.7 million construction project is Graniterock of San Jose and the project is scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2023.
Since 2011, Caltrans has implemented several small projects that modified the existing signal at this intersection, including adjusting the signal timing, installing “signal ahead” signs, installing flashing beacons, and upgrading the size of the signal heads.
An interchange at the highway 25/156 intersection is the long-range improvement planned as part of the larger SR 25 Expressway Conversion Project which is funded by Measure G, a San Benito County voter-approved additional 1% sales tax.
The roundabout is a two-lane design and anticipates truck volumes for the intersection today and into the future. In accommodating the sweep of truck trailer wheels, a mountable truck apron is featured around the inside of the roundabout.