Segments of Montecito sound walls removed from Highway 101 project

MONTECITO, Calif. -- The proposed sound walls on the Montecito portion of the Carpinteria to Santa Barbara construction project along Highway 101 were removed after it was found that the walls would create a rise in flood waters.

The sound walls will be replaced with chain link fencing planted with vines.

The project team held a community meeting in Montecito on Thursday to review the process and current planning for the sound wall segment in Montecito, according to Kirsten Ayars, a project spokeswoman.

Santa Barbara County’s preliminary feedback includes a requirement to analyze whether the proposed sound walls would create a rise in flood waters, according to Ayars.

The Highway 101 project team confirmed that the proposed sound walls would create a water rise.

"We also studied alternate wall types and configurations, such as walls with flood gates, staggered walls with openings, shorter walls, and other alternatives that might alleviate this problem," Ayars said.

"Unfortunately, the options resulted in a rise in flood waters during hydraulic modeling, did not meet freeway safety requirements, and/or would not meet the federal sound wall requirements."

The Highway 101 project will move forward through the Coastal Development Permit process with county hearings in the spring and summer.