Debris Flow Road and Bridge Repairs to Continue this Summer

Source: County of Santa Barbara

Construction will begin this month on additional repairs to roads and bridges affected by the Thomas Fire and the 1/9 Debris Flow. The projects include the repair of 28 lane miles of road and the construction of a temporary bridge at the Cold Springs Trailhead. Nearly $6 million in Southern California Edison Settlement Funds will pay for the road repair ($5.7 million) and bridge replacement ($230,000).

First District Supervisor Das Williams said, “As we continue to recover from the Thomas Fire and the 1/9 Debris Flow in so many ways, we hope that this widespread repair of Montecito’s damaged roads and bridges will restore a familiarity of being home where needed most, especially during these extra challenging times.”

Construction will begin on June 7, 2020 to re-connect East Mountain Road at the Cold Springs Trailhead. The low water crossing that was destroyed during the 1/9 Debris Flow will be replaced with a temporary bridge. This bridge will remain in place for approximately three years until a permanent bridge can be built. CalPortland Construction is the contractor for this project and construction is expected to finish by mid-July.

Granite Construction will begin the road repair project on June 15, 2020. Paving for this project is scheduled to finish by late-August. Santa Barbara County Public Works prioritized the road sections in this project based on the amount of use and damage due to the fire and debris flow. Additional road sections will be repaired in future projects over the next year. For a list of streets included in this project, please visit http://countyofsb.org/uploadedFiles/pwd/Content/Roads/820764_streetlist_01.pdf 

Construction is expected to occur Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Drivers should be aware of reduced speed zones, road closures, detours, and increased traffic control when driving through the construction sites. Traffic signs will announce any significant delays or temporary road closures. Please observe construction area signs and prepare to stop when traveling through the work site for the safety of crew members and the motoring public.

The Santa Barbara County Public Works Department thanks residents and the traveling public for their patience and cooperation during the construction of this project. For an updated list of road closures, please visit http://countyofsb.org/pwd/road.sbc.