Beginning on Monday, January 11, 2016, AT&T will install ductwork for fiber optic cable in preparation for the Holman Highway 68 Roundabout project. The five-week utility relocation project timetable is weather dependent.

AT&T’s work will relocate utilities in advance of construction near the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 68 (Holman Highway) and the 17-Mile Drive Gate into Pebble Beach. The work will happen between the hours of 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Thursday and is scheduled to continue through mid-February.    The utility relocation is not expected to close any traffic lanes or affect traffic in the area. However, residents and visitors can expect to see trenching in the shoulder on northbound and southbound Highway 68 (Holman Highway), and may experience some noise while the project is underway. TAMC asks motorists to use caution when driving through the area.

The Holman Highway 68 Roundabout Project is designed to relieve congestion near the Highway 68/Highway 1 intersection, and will greatly improve access to the Community Hospital, Pacific Grove, Monterey and Pebble Beach. The project is a public-private partnership between the City of Monterey, Pebble Beach Company, TAMC, the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, Monterey County, and Caltrans.

The Holman Highway 68 intersection with the Highway One southbound off-ramp and 17 Mile Drive is a gateway to Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach. Unfortunately this currently signalized intersection experiences unacceptable peak hour congetion.  Congestion at this location is costly to residents, visitors and businesses and delays emergency vehicles going to and from the Community Hospital. Surrounding neighborhoods have also suffered from cut-through traffic, a byproduct of congestion on Holman Highway 68.
In 2009 Caltrans adopted a project report that included upgrading the signalized intersection and widening of Holman Highway 68.

The City began to seek out alternatives to the signalized intersection and conducted a roundabout feasibility study in 2011-2012 using an Air District Grant (AB 2766 grant).  The study showed that compared with the signalized intersection option, a roundabout option is:

• Safer
• Less Expensive
• More Efficient
• Cleaner (less air pollution)
• More environmentally friendly (will save hundreds of Monterey Pine trees)

In 2013, the City conducted an intersection control evaluation (ICE) to confirm that a roundabout would work at the intersection of Holman Highway and 17 Mile Drive.  The evaluation revealed that the roundabout design can accomodate existing and future demand. The City hired Omni-Means to design the roundabout.
The project is now fully funded using a combination of state, regional and local sources.  The project has received funding from the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, Transportation Agency for Monterey County and Pebble Beach Company.

To stay informed and receive project updates throughout construction, sign-up for Highway 68 Roundabout email notification: http://tamcmonterey.org/programs/roundabouts/hwy68rndabt.html

For more information about the Holman Highway 68 Roundabout, contact Ariana Green at 831-775-0903 or ariana@tamcmonterey.org or visit the TAMC website at: tamcmonterey.org