Freeway Widening in High Gear from Montecito to Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - The long awaited Santa Barbara segment of the freeway widening project is on its way.

In the next few week, significant changes will take place. Already there's been pre-construction work including tree removal.

The project will involve a continuation of the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes in both direction similar to what drivers see in the previous sections in Montecito and Carpinteria.

There will also be new ramps, including a southbound on ramp at Cabrillo Boulevard and a new crossing for the train. This will end the prolonged problem of a low sitting bridge at Los Patos Way, which has been hit by high profile vehicles many times.

The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) will receive an update Thursday morning at its meeting in Santa Barbara.

The widening project has been years in the planning and construction phases based on funding availability and other factors from sources including the federal government and locally approved taxes specifically for this transportation project.

For more information go to: SBCAG

(More details, video and photos will be added here later today.)

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