Monterey County public works warns of delays for Stage 2 of Laureles Grade roundabout.

Stage 2 of construction for the new Laureles Grade roundabout at Carmel Valley Road and Laureles Grade will cause traffic delays on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2, according to a Monterey County Public Works press release.

Work will occur between 6:30am and 8pm both days, resulting in expected 30-minute traffic delays. The work was originally slated to begin Nov. 18 and Nov. 19, but the dates have been pushed back twice at the request of residents, businesses and the Carmel Unified School District, as well as due to inclement weather. Additional rainfall may prompt further delays.

Stage 1 of the project began in June and was intended to ease the flow of traffic at what officials called an unsafe intersection. The roundabout will replace the existing one-way, stop-controlled “T” intersection of Carmel Valley Road and Laureles Grade, one of the main arteries connecting drivers from Carmel Valley to Highway 1 and to Highway 68 to the north. The project includes widening Laureles Grade and Carmel Valley Road at the east and northwest corners of the intersection; however, it will not add lanes or increase the intersection’s capacity.

The total estimated project cost which includes engineering design, environmental permitting, right-of-way, utility relocation and construction is $5.6 million and paid through the Carmel Valley Traffic Improvement Program, Measure X and Monterey Bay Air Resources District Grant. The project is expected to be completed by spring of 2026.