A proposed project would consolidate four of Lakeside’s busiest signalized intersections at State Route 67 ramps into two roundabouts, in an effort to reduce congestion in anticipation of future developments.
Designed by the County of San Diego with oversight from Caltrans, plans would replace the intersection of Riverford Road and the SR-67 southbound on and off-ramps with a roundabout. The project will also replace the existing signalized intersections at Riverford Road and Woodside Avenue and Woodside Avenue and the SR-67 northbound off-ramp with a second roundabout.
Slated for construction in summer of 2028, county officials are seeking feedback as the design process moves forward. Following two public input meetings in 2024, the plan was revised to include the addition of sidewalks and a crosswalk at the northern intersection and installation of Rapid Flash Beacons at crosswalks near the highway off-ramps.
As the East County region continues to experience rapid development, commuters long accustomed to daily congestion have mixed opinions on whether the county’s regional traffic-mitigation efforts will make a difference.
Susan Kaplan moved to Lakeside a year ago with her boyfriend. She passes through the Riverford Road intersections on a near-daily basis and said roundabouts are not the solution to East County’s worsening traffic problems.
“I just think that we’re not prepared in Lakeside for learning new traffic flows,” Kaplan said. “I think a two-lane roundabout is incredibly dangerous.”
Notably, each roundabout is planned to be two lanes, with the approach legs being either one or two lanes. That was especially concerning to Kaplan, who said the two-laned roundabouts will lead to “confusion and conflict.”
Roundabouts are relatively uncommon in the county. Available data notes approximately 20 to 35 official roundabouts in the city of San Diego, though they are increasingly being proposed across the county as a traffic-mitigating solution.
As of now, no multi-lane roundabouts exist in the region, though multi-lane or two-lane variations are planned for future projects like Lakeside’s.
“I don’t want to be Caltrans’ guinea pig, quite frankly,” Kaplan said.
Lakeside resident Janet Kroupa supports the county’s current design and said she would like to see “even more” in the unincorporated community.
“They help the flow of traffic tremendously and accidents are less severe,” Kroupa said. “I will admit, there is a slight learning curve, but once you get the hang of it traffic lights will annoy you.”
The need for traffic improvements in the area was first identified by Caltrans in 2009, but the area has since seen major growth mainly in industrial warehouse and distribution facilities.
Notable developments are the Upper San Diego River Improvement Project, which proposes mixed residential and commercial use for the nearly 600 acre area, and River Run East, a major industrial warehouse currently under construction adjacent to the roundabouts site.
“This project is expected to create many new jobs, but it will also increase traffic in the area,” a county report reads. “Without improvements, the added traffic would worsen existing congestion.”
The cost for the project’s construction is estimated at $29 million, with an overall cost of $43 million. It is mainly being paid for by the county, with additional funding being offset by Lakeside Land Company, the developer of the Upper San Diego River Improvement project.
David Worsham has resided in East County for over two decades. As a daily commuter in the area, he said he is worried the roundabouts will cause confusion and increase buildup of trucks coming from the surrounding industrial sites.
“If they’re not going to stop for a red light, I don’t think they’re going to, you know, properly yield in a round appointment,” Worsham said. “I just foresee a lot of accidents, at least in the beginning.”