New Highway 101 Lane Now Open Between Carpinteria and Ventura

Highway 101 commuters now have relief from heavy traffic between Carpinteria and Ventura. A third southbound lane from Casitas Pass Road to Seacliff is now open. On the northbound freeway, a third lane is open from Bates Road to Casitas Pass Road. The remainder of the freeway widening will be completed by next year.

On weekdays between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., the lane will be restricted to no less than two passengers per vehicle. The lane will be open to any vehicle at all other times.

The improvement is expected to help ease some traffic congestion during peak afternoon commute hours and on weekends.

For years, congestion on the stretch of the 2-lane freeway has been among the worst in California.

The six-mile, $102 million project also includes new bike lanes with a solid barrier between vehicle traffic and riders.