The city of San Luis Obispo plans road work in neighborhoods near Cal Poly.

The areas where road construction work is taking place are marked in green and purple on the map below, i.e. areas 1 and 8.

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“We remove the markings, we basically grind them off the road. We come in several days and apply a sealant, let it sit for a while and then come back and apply the road markings,” explains Matt Horn, public works director for the city of San Luis Obispo.

He adds that there will be impacts on local residents and additional traffic.

In addition, it will temporarily be impossible to use parking spaces on the affected streets.

“When we close off different areas of the street, we have to go to different locations sporadically so that people can still get to their homes within reasonable walking distance, and we try to minimize the impact on neighborhoods,” Horn said.

Most of the work will involve resurfacing, but there will also be some restructuring of traffic on Grand Avenue.

The city will embark on a “diet” that will convert Grand Avenue from a five-lane road to a three-lane road.

“With all the traffic, it’s going to be pretty congested, which can be a problem, but I understand it’s important for pedestrian safety,” said resident Tyler Allen.

Allen’s roommate Bradley Blakemore says he is concerned about the impact on the start of the fall semester at Cal Poly.

“Move-in day is already the most chaotic time at Cal Poly. You can hardly drive anymore,” he said.

Horn says the changes on Grand Avenue will be made with paint rather than thermoplastic strips that last about a decade, so the city can see how well the new lines work before the change finally takes effect in about a year.

Horn says work in neighborhoods off major roads like Highland and California Boulevard and on Grand Avenue will begin later this month and continue through the end of 2024.

For more information on future roadwork in San Luis Obispo, visit https://www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/public-works/construction-and-traffic-updates/slo-in-motion/transportation-improvements.