Project to improve and traffic flow and safety on Broadway in Santa Maria begins

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- A construction project to help improve traffic flow and safety on North Broadway in Santa Maria is now underway.

According to the city, the project is designed to reduce collisions and delays for vehicles traveling on Broadway, near the busy intersection of Main Street in the downtown area.

"There was a traffic study done back in 2015 that identified several accidents and some capacity issues with the left turn movement on Main Street from Broadway," said Christos Stoyos, Santa Maria Principal Civil Engineer.

When completed, the newly designed section of road will include an extended southbound Broadway left-turn lane and a closed median gap at West Chapel Street. 

"It will be a safer, more efficient roadway that will provide more capacity to the left turn movement going towards East Main Street," said Stoyos.

The changes will restrict left-turn movements from northbound Broadway onto West Chapel Street, as will left-turn  movements from West Chapel Street onto northbound Broadway.

Area drivers said there are excited about the project and how it will help traffic conditions along the busy north-south corridor.

"Any improvement is going to be great," said Tamara Thompson of Santa Maria. "I drive that street all the time, going to work, going to see my parents and it's always congested, trying to turn onto Main. You get stuck way back along a lot of cars that are wanting to turn, so you gotta try to get over and not get hit trying to get over all these other cars that are in a rush trying to get to where they're going."

Construction will cause lane closures at times for both southbound and northbound directions. During those times, traffic flow will be impacted resulting in likely delays.

"The drivers have to be careful obeying, first of all, all the traffic signals and making sure they don't drive too fast through the construction zone," said Stoyos.

Work will also require the temporary closure of several parking spaces along both sides of Broadway in the area of the construction project.

The project is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2022.