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From the Monterey County Herald

Serving Monterey County and the Salinas Valley
Published Wednesday, September 4, 2002

Monterey eyes Holman widening

By VICTORIA MANLEY
vmanley@montereyherald.com

Monterey city officials are paving the way to widen a portion of Holman Highway, the stretch between Highway 1 and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.

Though that section of Highway 68 is outside the city limits, Monterey officials are pushing for the widening at the request of city residents in the Skyline Forest neighborhood. They say that congestion on Holman causes many drivers to seek alternative routes through their residential streets.

City officials say a number of public hearings would be held before actual construction could begin.

About four years ago the neighborhood association conducted a study to determine ways to improve road safety and traffic congestion. The top proposal was a multi-agency collaboration to widen the highway.

Plans are to widen a portion of highway less than a mile long from two lanes to four lanes. The section includes two bridges, over Highway 1 and over Scenic Road.

"The objective is to create a more open traffic flow," said Bill Reichmuth, Monterey's public works director. "It becomes very congested on that road."

Monterey, Monterey County, Pebble Beach Co., the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, Community Hospital and the state Department of Transportation have been working together for three years to get the project moving. City officials are now preparing to work with Caltrans on detailed design work and assessing the environmental impact.

Construction should take about two years, but before any asphalt can be poured, a great deal of work still lies ahead. About $1 million in federal grant money has been set aside for the preliminary work, including environmental studies. There will also be an extensive period of public review.

"We'll have lots of public hearings on this," Reichmuth said.