Construction commences on Highway 46 East widening project in San Luis Obispo County
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – A groundbreaking ceremony for the fifth segment of the $116 million Highway 46 East widening project was held in Cholame on Friday, bringing the project one step closer to the four-lane expressway end goal, according to CalTrans.
“It was a great milestone to share this day with our partners as we widen another five-mile segment of this important east-west corridor," said Caltrans District 5 Director Tim Gubbins.
"This project moves us closer to our goal of creating a four-lane divided highway from San Luis Obispo County to the San Joaquin Valley.”
The widening will occur along Highway 46 East from the Shandon Roadside rest area to the west of the Jack Ranch Cafe in Cholame, according to CalTrans District 5 spokesman Jim Shivers.
The widening of this segment comes after four completed phases of the project from Paso Robles leading to the Highway 46/41 intersection, Shivers said. The purpose of the project is to convert the two-lane divided highway to a four-lane expressway.
The $47 million project to widen Highway 46 East from McMillan Canyon Road to Lucy Brown Road was completed in 2019, and the $38 million project to widen the highway from Almond Drive to McMillan Canyon Road was finished in 2016, Shivers said.
Widening of the highway between Geneseo Road to east of Almond Drive was completed in 2014, and the widening from Airport Road to Geneseo Road was finished in 2010.
“The safety of this corridor has been a longtime priority for the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG)— both our agency staff and board of directors are thrilled to see this project segment underway,” said SLOCOG Executive Director Peter Rodgers.
