Highway 46 is one of Paso Robles’ busiest corridors, carrying commuters, freight, and travelers between the Central Coast and the Central Valley.
Because traffic continues to grow, the city recently approved a study that could reshape how drivers cross the highway and potentially replace a $150 million project that has sat on the shelf for years.
On Aug. 4, the Paso Robles City Council voted 3-2 to approve a $350,000 feasibility study exploring whether crossing beneath Highway 46 East could improve access between the city’s airport, industrial district, and future growth areas at a lower cost than the previously proposed Union Road overcrossing project that had been in the works for decades.
The study, expected to take six to nine months, will evaluate three potential alignments near Union Road, Airport Road, and the Huer Huero Creek corridor.
While the project centers on improving access across Highway 46, Public Works Director Leslie Frazier said it was ultimately about preparing for Paso Robles’ future. Nearly 2,000 acres in the city’s northeast “tech corridor” remain undeveloped, and that land cannot reach its full potential without better transportation infrastructure connecting it to the rest of the city.
“Efficient access between the airport area and the remainder of the city is essential to support future growth, emergency response, goods movement, and overall transportation system performance,” Frazier wrote in the staff report.
The city had spent more than 30 years planning an overcrossing at Union Road, but as the design evolved, so did its cost.
“The project is not just one bridge, it’s actually two,” Frazier told the council. “We need one bridge over State Route 46 and we need another bridge over the Huer Huero Creek to connect to our planned future development.”
Combined with a new connector road, those improvements pushed the estimated construction cost to about $150 million, which the city hasn’t been able to fund.
“We’re at a crossroads,” Frazier said. “We have a very expensive project, and the project remains unfunded today at $150 million.”
Instead of abandoning it altogether, staff recommended evaluating whether undercrossings—similar to the recently completed Wellsona Road project north of Paso Robles—could accomplish many of the same transportation goals with lower construction costs, fewer environmental impacts, and less right-of-way acquisition.
According to staff, the Wellsona undercrossing was completed in about six years for approximately $12 million.
“The purpose of this study is not to replace or abandon previous efforts, but rather to evaluate whether alternative grade-separated crossings exist that may provide comparable transportation benefits with reduced implementation challenges, costs, environmental impacts, or right-of-way requirements,” the staff report stated.
Frazier explained that evaluating multiple options now would strengthen future Caltrans review and improve the city’s eligibility for grants.
After the city attorney advised that reducing the study’s scope would require negotiating a new contract and likely delay the project, the council approved the study as proposed. Councilmembers Chris Bausch, Kris Beal, and Fred Strong joined in support, while Mayor John Hamon and Councilmember Steve Gregory voted against it.
During public comment, resident Linda George supported the study but urged the council to address the Highway 46 and U.S. 101 bottleneck alongside future improvements.
“When it is backed up at least a mile from the 46 and 101, people want to just start sitting on the shoulder. … I think that’s far more dangerous,” she said. “I’m wondering if we can’t get that done simultaneously.” ∆
This article appears in Education Today 2026.
