Salinas Street on ramp in Santa Barbara expected to close for four weeks
Caltrans will shut down the Salinas Street on ramp to northbound U.S. Highway 101 beginning Tuesday night, Dec. 27 at 9 p.m.
The 4-week closure will impact the eastside community that depends on the Salinas Street on ramp for their daily commute. Caltrans crews will be repairing a drainage culvert at Sycamore Creek that was recently damaged by a fire.The No. 3 (slow lane) lane of northbound Highway 101 will also be closed from the Cabrillo Boulevard/Hot Springs Road exit to Salinas Street for the same 4-week period.
Drivers will be detoured to Carpinteria Street and Milpas Street to reach the nearest U.S. 101 northbound on ramp. Motorists should expect 10-minute delays.
The $1-million dollar project is expected to be completed in late January, weather permitting.
The closure and detour will affect Santa Barbara’s East Side community and businesses on Milpas Street.
“It’s going to create a gridlock on Carpinteria Street, back up traffic especially the round-about being a challenge for people to navigate,” said Amie Kang, general manager of Jack’s Bistro & Famous Bagels.
Kang has been in business on Milpas Street for over 10 years. She’s seen how busy it can be in the Milpas Street corridor.
“Hopefully they’ll stop by the parking lot, but as busy as it is and they’re stuck in traffic and their time constraints, they might not stop by. They might continue because of limited time for them to get to us,” said Kang.
Kang also worries about how busy and dangerous it will be for students in the area when winter break ends.
The ramp will be closed from 9:00 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday. On Friday, the ramp will be closed at 12:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m.
Residents nearby or people staying at the Sunrise RV Park can pass the barricades to get into their homes.