A notoriously deadly Highway 101 crossing in northern San Luis Obispo County claimed another life this week as plans to fix the intersection are years delayed.
On Wednesday, Paso Robles resident Brianna Mae Thomas was killed when she tried to cross the highway at Wellsona Road and drove into the path of an oncoming big rig.
The death was the latest in a history of fatal crashes at the site near the San Paso Truck Stop.
The intersection, which allows vehicles to cross Highway 101 unprotected, has a traffic collision rate higher than the statewide average. Six people were killed in crashes there between 2012 and 2016.
In the most recent 5-year period, the intersection has experienced 16 collisions, according to Caltrans spokesman Jim Shivers. Of these, 14 were multi-vehicle collisions and three were fatal collisions, he said.
Deadly Intersection at Wellsona Road and Highway 101
The notoriously deadly intersection of Wellsona Road and Highway 101 near Paso Robles.
Map created with the assistance of ChatGPT.
Caltrans first announced plans to build an underpass at the site in 2017.
Construction was supposed to start two years ago, but aside from a few flashing warning beacons added as an interim measure to alert travelers to the potential for cross-traffic, work has yet to begin.
What’s happening?
The Tribune looked into the project’s delays as part of its Reality Check series.
What is planned at Wellsona Road?
After the county Board of Supervisors advanced what was then a $12 million project in 2020, Shivers predicted at the time that construction would likely begin in winter 2022.
But only now is the Wellsona Safety Improvements project finally ready to get underway, Shivers told The Tribune.
Plans call for building an 112-foot undercrossing below Highway 101 just south of the existing intersection, eliminating the need for motorists to make left turns or drive straight across traffic on Highway 101.
This would prevent future broadside and left-turn merge-related collisions at the intersection, Shivers said.
If all goes according to the latest schedule, construction will begin by January 2025, he said.
Full closure of either Highway 101 or Wellsona Road is not anticipated for the project, he said.
“This will benefit a lot of people when completed,” Shivers said. “It will be a dramatic improvement to public safety.”
Why has it taken so long?
Caltrans hoped to have the undercrossing built by now, but Shivers said the delays are mostly routine.
“Project design and development takes time,” he said.
He said the largest obstacle has been securing land-use permits — known as right-of-way easements — from property owners in the area, causing them to push off the start date of construction.
“In this particular situation, we had right-of-way issues ahead of us to solve before we could move into construction,” Shivers said.
A fix for deadly Hwy. 101 intersection in SLO County is coming — here’s when
For the last few years, Shivers said, Caltrans has been in conversation with the neighboring property owners about aspects of the project.
At this point, they have acquired three of the parcels of land needed and have an agreement to move forward with construction on the fourth parcel located at the San Paso Truck Stop while the contracts to acquire it are still being finalized, Shivers said.
With all the appropriate right-of-way certifications in place, the project can finally break ground.
The now-$14-million project is entirely funded by the State Highway Operational Protection Program, which specifically helps fund public safety projects, Shivers said.
The next step is for Caltrans to open a bid for a contractor, which Shivers expects to happen on Sept. 19.
Construction on the underpass would start by the new year and aim to be completed by early 2026, he said.
Until then, he advised drivers to be on high alert when driving through the area.
“We are eager to see this project to completion,” Shivers said. “We want this project as much as the public. We are looking forward to getting this one done.”
Source Agencies
