Final Phase of Hwy 101 Project Aims to Relieve Traffic Congestion & Improve Safety
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – It’s a question concerning drivers who've lived with 101 construction from Carpinteria for more than a decade now — How do you keep the lanes open and build a whole new freeway simultaneously?
“Some people say 'build it as fast as you can. Close as many things as you want. I don't care. I want to done as quickly as possible.' And then you have all of us who live here who say, 'well, we still need to get around town. Right. You can't just close everything,'” said Public Outreach Liaison Kirsten Ayars.
Starting this Spring, the final phase adding a carpool lane will begin.
The freeway is mostly done from Summerland headed South.
Most of Montecito is still under construction, and now the last section into Santa Barbara is ready to begin.
“For as long as I can remember, there's been some kind of route construction project happening in Santa Barbara that should be benefiting the residents,” said Angelica Rojas, who lives in Oxnard.
Some drivers are worried that construction will cause delays, but Rojas is hopeful.
“If we decide to carpool, it could help us in the long run, maybe in a couple of years,” said Rojas.
“This is part of a greater solution besides just the freeway itself. And that involves other modes of transportation, including road improvements for commuters and recognizing that we don't want to build a general purpose, that we want to try and influence people into changing their habits into more of a carpool,” said Cal Trans Project Manager Dave Emerson.
When complete, the almost 11-mile project will have cost roughly $700 million dollars.
“On the day to day commute, when we're under construction, they'll still be two lanes open in each direction. Northbound and southbound. But we'll be working around the lanes in order to build two new freeway bridges over Cabrillo Boulevard and then also completely rebuild the freeway between Hermosillo and Salinas Street,” said Public Outreach Liaison, Kirsten Ayars.
Every part of the project includes safety upgrades, bridge replacements, and improvements to the exits.
The project is slated to be completed in 2030.
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