Hwy 29 Roundabouts: Napa County Receives $6M Toward Project

NAPA COUNTY, CA – The Metropolitan Transportation Commission earmarked $6 million this week for improvements to intersections along state Highway 29 in Napa County.

The funds support the Napa Valley Forward project, which is an initiative to improve infrastructure to support safety and better traffic flow, Napa County Assistant CEO Becky Craig said Thursday in a news release.

As part of the project, MTC and the Napa Valley Transportation Authority — NVTA — studied different ways to improve traffic on SR-29. "Miniroundabouts" were selected to be studied at Oakville Cross and Rutherford roads due to the nominal cost, significant safety considerations, and smaller footprint required to construct the intersection improvements, Craig said.

Several alternatives are being considered at Madison Street in Yountville, including a roundabout.

Further information about the project, including the proposed design, will be shared soon, county officials said.

Staff from NVTA and MTC, along with Napa County Board Chair Alfredo Pedroza, have met with property owners, including businesses, who would be directly impacted by the proposed roundabouts.

Starting in the fall, the county plans to conduct additional public outreach to the broader community about the transportation project.

"Since my appointment to the MTC, my goal has been to bring additional regional resources to Napa County to improve mobility, address traffic and safety concerns, and improve Napa Valley’s economic and cultural vitality," Pedroza said. "Roundabouts at Rutherford and Oakville roads along SR 29 will do just that."

Construction of the roundabouts would take about two years and could begin as soon as spring 2023.

Jack Bittner, chairman of the board of directors for Napa Valley Vintners and managing partner at OVID Napa Valley, expressed his support for the project.

"We are excited to see Napa County join the global shift from red lights to roundabouts," Bittner said. "These upgrades allow our community to make it to their destination in a safer and faster way with significant cost and energy savings."

Ted Hall, president and CEO of Long Meadow Ranch, views roundabouts as an important first step in improving the flow of traffic in Napa Valley.

"The impact will be beyond just the specific intersections and will improve traffic flow along the entire corridor," Hall said.

Kate Miller, executive director of NVTA, said the funds represent "a great opportunity for Napa County."

"It's not often that $6 million lands on our lap like this especially for highway improvements in the more rural parts of the Valley," Miller said. "It really requires collaboration and support from our regional planning agency, MTC, to fund projects of this nature given the limited highway funds that typically come into Napa."