RANCHO SANTA FE — County staff updated residents earlier this month about a proposal to install three roundabouts along a main thoroughfare in Rancho Santa Fe, including state funding available in mid-2027.
The three roundabouts are proposed along Paseo Delicias/Del Dios Road at El Camino del Norte, El Montevideo, and the Via de la Valle intersections in the unincorporated community of Rancho Santa Fe.
While all three intersections are fully funded for technical engineering studies and design phases, only the eastern roundabout at El Camino del Norte will receive construction funding — $3 million from TransNet — in three years.
Construction of the El Camino del Norte roundabout is expected to begin by 2028, according to county staff.
An additional $12 million will be needed to complete the other two roundabouts, which county staff is pursuing from different state, regional and federal funding opportunities.
The three roundabouts are intended to create a continuous traffic flow while improving safety for pedestrians, equestrians and bicyclists on the rural Paseo Delicias corridor, a high-volume route between Interstate 5 and Interstate 15.
“The community has expressed strong support for speed reduction and intersection safety through this corridor, including for bicycle users and pedestrians, equestrian-friendly pathways and crosswalks,” said Donna Durckel, communications officer for the county’s land use and environment group. “They have also been involved in landscaping plant palette decisions.”
The El Camino del Norte roundabout experiences heavy traffic, making it difficult for cross traffic to perform turns there.
Existing issues at the El Montevideo intersection include a four-way traffic stop that delays traffic, vehicles approaching at high speeds, bus stops that block vehicle lanes, no pedestrian or equestrian protections and historic property at the southwest corner.
The Via de la Valle intersection, close to where Las Colinas merges onto the road, is a skewed, multi-leg intersection with low-visibility pedestrian and equestrian crossings and bus stops using travel lanes.
According to staff, the project will include improvements to stormwater drainage, remain consistent with Rancho Sante Fe’s historic community character and minimize impacts on property owners.
Rapid flashing beacons, similar to those activated by push buttons at the La Granada intersection, will be installed at all three roundabouts for pedestrian and equestrian traffic.
Designs will also reduce speeds through the intersections, include rolled curbs to allow turns for 40-foot vehicles, and have minimal lighting installed. Each roundabout will be 105 feet in diameter, with a central island and 16-foot-wide circulating lanes.
Bus stop shelters also will be improved as part of the project.
The project has already been in the works for some time and will likely take several more years to reach completion. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors certified the environmental impact report in 2016 before approving funding for engineering plans in 2020.
Once construction funding becomes available, county staff will provide more information about the other two roundabouts.
