CARLSBAD — The city is moving forward with traffic calming and water system improvements in the Barrio neighborhood after the City Council on Jan. 20 authorized spending more than $6 million previously earmarked for the project.
The area’s traffic calming plan includes a traffic circle — down from the original proposal of five roundabouts — at the intersection of Harding Street and Pine Avenue, which will also feature public art built and installed under a separate contract, according to the city.
Additional improvements of the Barrio Traffic Calming project include high-visibility crosswalks with flashing beacons and four new all-way stops.
City documents state that with “the flat terrain and proximity to the beach, Village area and Coastal Rail Trail, the Barrio is a neighborhood ideal for walking and biking,” and that traffic calming would “slow down traffic, encourage safer driving behaviors, and make walking and biking more inviting.”
The City Council authorized a contract of more than $3.5 million with San Diego-based Palm Engineering Construction Company, according to city documents. Of that total, more than $1.8 million is earmarked for transportation and sewer improvements, while more than $1.7 million is designated for a water main improvement project.
The city has appropriated nearly $4.8 million for the Barrio traffic calming project, including $2.5 million from a larger $5 million federal grant secured by Congressman Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano) in 2021. The remaining $2.5 million of the federal grant will be allocated to the separate Barrio Street Lighting project.
For the upcoming work, the city has allocated a $368,000 construction contingency and $441,000 for inspections and other management services.
The water main replacement in the Barrio is part of a larger water system improvement effort for which more than $22 million has been allocated, according to city documents. The city has spent more than $8.8 million on that program to date.
For the portion associated with the Barrio traffic calming project, construction contingency and management-related costs total $752,000.
The authorization was unanimously approved as part of the consent calendar at Tuesday’s meeting.
Construction is expected to begin in the spring and take about 12 months, with completion anticipated in early 2027.
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