Highway 101 reopens after multi-day shutdown due to Alisal Fire
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Highway 101 reopened Thursday evening after the Alisal Fire forced its closure for several days.
California Highway Patrol reopened the highway just after 6 p.m. The road was shut down Monday afternoon.
The closure started at the intersection with Highway 1 at Las Cruces and ended near Goleta at the intersection with Cathedral Oaks Road.
The main artery through Santa Barbara County was closed after the Alisal Fire, burning in the mountains above the Gaviota Coast, began to burn down the hillside toward the road.
Caltrans crews worked for several days to replace barriers and guard rails and assess damage to the highway.
Over the following days, drivers were forced to take Highway 154 to get from northern Santa Barbara County to the south coast, putting serious strain on the roadway and resulting in multiple crashes and bumper-to-bumper traffic.
On Thursday, the road was reopened and commuters surely let out a sigh of relief.
With the roadway reopening, drivers were urged to take extra caution as crews from Caltrans, Southern California Edison and emergency crews battling the fire are expected to remain in the area.
Despite the reopening of the highway, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office is reminding residents that the evacuation orders remain in place.
The Alisal Fire has burned more than 16,000 acres and, as of Thursday, is 5% contained. For continuing coverage of the Alisal Fire, including road closures and evacuations, click here.
