Kaleb Dan Mantela: Your well publicized letter regarding Coronado’s traffic mess was greeted with a thunderous silence. Of course a roundabout at 4th and Orange would not work and is not a good idea, but I sincerely want to thank you for bringing it up.
In about 2010 the traffic had gotten so bad that I enthused about the formation of a separate 3d-4th St. redevelopment project, separate from our city, to deal with the problem. That turned out to be an April Fool’s spoof (duh!). At the same time there was a serious proposal to construct a “cut and cover” 2-way viaduct, not a tunnel but essentially a trench, to accommodate the direct traffic along the entire length of 4th St. from the bridge to North Island, and a “cover” above, for sidewalks, local streets, front yards: The usual elements of a regular neighborhood. An august group of engineers/experts donated their time to make a workable design.
It would have generally mitigated traffic in the entire town, rid us of the bisection of the island caused by the 3d-4th St. couplet, made 3d the beautiful residential place it was before it became a bridge exit, and made 4th a more livable venue it has not been for 80 years.
After all of that the locals voted it down, and traffic has gotten much worse. Don’t forget that tolls paid off the bridge, opened in 1969, in about 1990, way ahead of expected.
It’s definitely worth another look. Thanks again, Kaleb.
VOL. 116, NO. 8 – Feb. 25, 2026