Coastal access walkway under Highway 101 to Butterfly Beach closes

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A convenient walkway from Coast Village Road to Butterfly Beach in Montecito is closed for repairs.

In a community newsletter for the ongoing Highway 101 widening project, the public was informed of the closure to do work in the area prior to the next phase of construction.

The undercrossing will re-open on Dec 23 as crews close an open grate in the ceiling of the tunnel.

The crossing helps those who are on the north side of the freeway in the Santa Barbara and Montecito areas to easily get to the beach via the tunnel that takes them past the back side of the Music Academy of the West.

One alternate route is to walk down Coast Village Road and access the beach via Olive Mill Road.