Goleta announced reopening of Ellwood Mesa Emergency Access Road Wednesday

GOLETA, Calif. – The City of Goleta issued the press release below about the reopening of the Ellwood Mesa Emergency Access Road Wednesday.

The Ellwood Mesa Emergency Access Road is back open. It had been closed since February 4, 2024, due to impacts from a severe winter storm which washed out the existing 72-inch diameter pipe culvert and severely damaged the emergency access road.

The Ellwood Mesa Emergency Access Road provides trail and beach access to City staff for maintenance, emergency vehicles and pedestrians at the end of Santa Barbara Shores Drive. The access road is an important part of the overall trail system for the Ellwood Mesa.

The repair work began on June 26, 2024. The City-hired contractors successfully installed a 72-inch diameter reinforced concrete culvert, bank erosion control, and a concrete roadway to reconnect the trail across Devereux Creek. The work was completed on July 15, 2024.

Other storm repairs throughout the City are ongoing or anticipated to begin in the next few weeks.

Jamie Shaw, Community Relations Assistant with the City of Goleta