After years of construction, a critical connection between the Central Coast and the Central Valley is finally complete. The new Highway 46 interchange will officially be open to traffic on Thursday after a five-day, 21-mile roadblock. Local leaders say this project will save lives and improve travel for thousands of drivers every day.
Caltrans District 5 and the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning, celebrating the completion of the interchange project, all part of the ongoing widening of Highway 46.
District 5 Director Scott Eades says this portion of the project has been years in the making.
"This is a super exciting moment to be able to celebrate the first time we've had full grade separation on the 41/46 interchange, or what we call the Y,” he said.
The infamous James Dean crash site has also seen 24 crashes and at least 11 deaths in the last 10 years, according to Caltrans.
“This is a great day with this ribbon-cutting event because traffic safety is the whole message behind this event," Templeton CHP Commander Darren Gennuso said.
Now emergency vehicles will have shoulder access to respond to collisions in an area Gennusa says has been problematic for emergency responders.
“In the old roadway design, being two lanes and undivided, it required a driver to pass over into oncoming traffic at legal locations, but that was a challenge once they did that," Gennuso explained. "That was some of the reasons why collisions occurred when they made a bad judgment.”
This is the first part of the Highway 46 Golden Spikes Project. Part two is set to be completed in 2026. The project is estimated at $199 million and being paid for through federal, state, and county funding.
“We're working to secure funding for the remaining pieces, but we're getting close, and that will be another really exciting day when we can drive the golden spike and say that we have four-lane divided highway all the way between I-5 and 101," Eades said.
