City erases more barriers to accessibility

ATASCADERO — The city of Atascadero is removing more barriers to mobility on El Camino Real.

“Each year, we try to do a handicap access project that helps eliminate some barriers,” Director of Public Works Russ Thompson said.

And so the city has awarded a contract to Arroyo Grande-based Rockwood Construction to work out some kinks on El Camino Real between Rosario Avenue and San Jacinto Road.

That section of El Camino Real was recently the site of Phase 3 of Atascadero’s Downtown Streetscape project. For that project, that stretch of El Camino was repaved, some culverts and drains were redesigned and new bike signs and striping were installed.

The main task of the new project, however, is that Thompson and his staff will check the areas inside the zone and put new sidewalks in place where there are currently none. Many of those areas, Thompson said, are dirt or gravel areas, which make it unsafe for people with accessibility issues to walk down the street.

In addition to pouring new concrete in those areas bereft of sidewalk, Thompson said, some of large mailboxes will be relocated and some driveway aprons will be rebuilt, either because of accessibility issues or because they are in poor repair.

The width of the street will remain the same, Thompson added, and the curb will not extend into El Camino Real any further than it already does.

The project is being funded by a community development block grant and will cost approximately $90,000.

Work is scheduled to begin in the next couple of weeks and will last through October. Thompson said that he did not expect any lane closures during construction, but that the shoulder of the road will often be blocked by construction crews.