Mud damaged Olive Mill Road bridge fully repaired

After it was broken apart and covered in mud last January during the mudflow catastrophe, the Olive Mill Road bridge has been fully repaired.

It was reopened this morning with traffic flowing in both directions, plus pedestrian access.

Caltrans says the eight month project was finished by Granite construction and other crews on the job in just four months.

They only took four days off each month until the work was done. It started at the beginning of September.

CalTrans Information Officer Jim Shivers said, ” we began our work here after Labor day, working 6 days a week , 10-12 a day. The completion of this bridge rail project is yet another step that CalTrans has taken to basically restore normalcy to this community.”

This is a popular route for driving, biking and walking.
“….I think they have done a fantastic job,” said Janice Wilder on her fitness walk.
Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams said “folks in Montecito love to be able to walk and bike down to the beach and this will create better access and also make what is already a mess of an intersection at Olive Mill and Jameson be a little bit less confusing.”

The walkway is much wider than what was there before and several people can share the area, unlike the situation before.

“They widened this walkway which is – it was quite narrow before so if two people were coming this week I would have to step in the street” said Wilder.
The work comes with new asphalt on Highway 101 below and upgraded landscaping on all sides.

Residents nearby say they hope the winter has lighter rain so the work can all hold together.

“Oh absolutely and I hope that we don’t get any other disasters this winter because it is nice to see this and I hope it holds up,” said Hal Saunders.

Walking back home from the Friday Farmers Market Vic Cole said the project and work crews were not a burden. He optimistically looked at everything saying, it was a “minor imposition.”