Caltrans Accelerates Repairs on SR-1 in Santa Barbara County

Source: Caltrans

Caltrans will repave more than 40 lane miles of State Route 1 from the Las CrucesInterchange (U.S. Highway 101 Separation) to south of the State Route 246 Junction in Santa Barbara County due to the funds from Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

“This state route runs through hillsides and serves residents living in the rural community of Gaviota and the city of Lompoc, who depend on this route to travel to and from northern and southern Santa Barbara County,” said Caltrans Director Laurie Berman. “It is imperative we make the appropriate repairs and safety enhancements to this roadway to provide motorists with a safe and smooth commute for years to come.”

This section of SR-1 is also known as Cabrillo Highway, and more than 9,000 motorists per day travel on the state route. The highway is often used by locals traveling to and from Vandenberg Air Force Base near the city of Lompoc, and motorists visiting Gaviota State Park.

“Without this SB 1 funded project, the pavement would continue to deteriorate, which would have a direct impact on travelers and result in costly repairs in the future,” said Caltrans District 5 Acting Director Richard Rosales.“There are many hidden gems in this area from the beaches along the Pacific coast, the scenic hiking trails to the state parks, and people rely on this section of SR-1 to reach these destinations.”

This $17 million pavement project has been awarded to CalPortland Construction of Santa Maria, California. Crews will install new guardrail along the highway, construct rumble strips on the roadway, fill potholes, and repave the highway to restore SR-1 and improve traffic safety.

Work is scheduled to begin Monday, May 14. Motorists will encounter alternating lane closures on SR-1, Sunday night through Friday morning, from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead, use alternate routes and Be Work Zone Alert.

Work schedule is subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and/or materials, and/or construction-related issues. More information and updates on projects can be found at http://www.dot.ca.gov/d5/ or on Twitter via @CaltransD5.

SB 1 provides an ongoing funding increase of about $1.8 billion annually for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the state highway system. SB 1 funds will enable Caltrans to fix more than 17,000 lane miles of pavement, 500 bridges and 55,000 culverts by 2027.

Caltrans is committed to conducting its business in a fully transparent manner and detailing its progress to the public. For complete details on SB 1, visithttp://www.rebuildingca.ca.gov/.