New Orcutt Gas Station Opens Near Accident-Prone Intersection

ORCUTT, Calif. (KEYT) - A long-planned gas station located at one of the busiest intersection in Orcutt has finally opened for business.

Orcutt Fuel welcomed its first customers Friday during a soft opening at the site, which features eight fueling stations and a 4,200-square-foot convenience store

Located near the intersection of Lakeview Road, Orcutt Road, Skyway Drive and Highway 135, the project has been more than seven years in the making.

Following an extensive review and approval process, construction began last year. Work recently wrapped up, allowing the station to finally open its doors.

But the location has been a source of concern for some community members for years, largely because of the area's history of traffic collisions.

The station sits near the intersection of Skyway Drive and Lakeview Road at Highway 135, a stretch of roadway that has been the scene of multiple crashes over the years.

According to Santa Barbara County reports, the intersection has one of the highest accident rates in the county.

Difficult traffic patterns in the area in all four directions add to the challenge for motorists driving through the often contested intersection.

Orcutt Road runs parallel to Highway 135, with two stop signs positioned near the traffic signal at Skyway Drive and Lakeview Road.

The convergence of multiple roads and traffic controls has created longstanding challenges for drivers, even before construction of the gas station began.

With Orcutt Fuel now open, questions remain about how the added business and its customers will affect traffic flow and safety at an already busy intersection.

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