Construction project begins at busy Santa Maria intersection, several other street improvements soon to come

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - A construction project at one of the busiest intersections in Santa Maria began Monday morning, starting road repairs that will impact traffic for the next several weeks.

The project is happening at the intersection of Stowell Road and Miller Street and is taking place to install an improved storm drain related to the new Centennial Square development located at the southwest corner of Miller Street and Plaza Drive.

The overall project includes trenching, storm drain installation, and roadway restoration. 

"The storm drainage improvement project is predicated on the development that's happening at Centennial Square," said Brett Fulgoni, Santa Maria Public Works Director. "The project will also have other benefits to some storms during the improvements we're going to be doing on Miller a little bit later in the year." 

Construction is expected to last up to eight weeks and will include some nighttime work.

Anyone who passes through the intersection, either as a driver, bicyclist, pedestrian, or any other means, is urged to use caution while roadwork is taking place.

"The biggest thing is please slow down and please slow down on those construction zones," said Fulgoni. "All these folks that are working out there have families and, just, you know, keep their safety in mind."

Santa Maria Public Works has several other road repair projects coming up soon, including improvements on Betteravia Road, Bradley Road, Morrison, Carlotti Drive, as well as other locations on Miller Street and Stowell Road among others.

"It's citywide effort to improve pavement and, get our pavement condition index up and create a better environment for the citizens of Santa Maria," said Fulgoni. "It's long overdue and something that we're we're working every day to try to fix."

A significant traffic signal and safety improvement project just west of Santa Maria at the intersection of Highway 166 and Black Road is also currently taking place.

The $2.5 million project began in early July and is being conducted by Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) and Caltrans.

"It's ongoing," said Fulgoni. "They're making great progress and they're going to keep keep on chugging along. It's coming along nicely, so we're excited to see that safety improvement."