Highway 101 Construction to Expand Into Santa Barbara North This Spring

Construction on Highway 101 is set to expand into Santa Barbara North this spring, as crews continue work in Montecito and Santa Barbara South, according to the latest project update.

The Santa Barbara North segment, located between Hermosillo Road and Salinas Street, is scheduled to begin construction this spring, marking the next major phase of work along the Highway 101 corridor.

In the Santa Barbara South portion of the corridor, which is located between Olive Mill and Hermosillo Roads, median work extends up to Cabrillo Boulevard, for shifts in traffic lanes, according to the update. 

Crews will be working on the new retaining wall along the southbound lanes, pave new lanes, install drainage improvements, add new electrical lighting connections, and continue to install overhead sign foundations.

On southbound Highway 101, crews are working on a sound wall between the Butterfly Lane Undercrossing and Olive Mill Road. Crews will continue installing rebar for the retaining wall, begin installing concrete blocks for the sound wall, and continue storm drainage improvements. 

Work is also continuing on the southbound Spring and Olive Mill Road off-ramp, where crews are making storm drain improvements and reinforcing the retaining wall.

Along the freeway lanes on southbound Highway 101, crews will continue grading, pave the base layer and pour concrete for new freeway lanes, and install new electrical connections for lighting. Crews will also continue to work on overhead sign foundations.

The Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project, led by Caltrans and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), will add a new carpool lane in each direction between the two cities.

As part of the Highway 101 project, SBCAG and Caltrans are partnering with other agencies on projects to provide new or upgrade existing paths for bicycles and pedestrians, coastal access and local circulation improvements, such as roundabouts. 

The Carpinteria to Santa Barbara improvements are a significant part of the overall “lane and train” solution to ease traffic congestion by adding new peak-period carpool lanes and upgrades to improve freeway operations. 

The improvements are also part of the larger congestion relief strategy, including peak-hour train service from Oxnard/Ventura to Santa Barbara/Goleta, commute alternatives, bike lanes, and better pedestrian connectivity. 

The project includes building new freeway lanes, bridges, and ramps in the Carpinteria, Summerland, and Padaro segments, according to the project plan. 

Plants will be grown in Carpinteria and Summerland, while landscaping is underway in the Padaro segment. 

Construction is continuing in the Montecito and Santa Barbara South segments. The new Santa Claus Lane Bikeway, Olive Mill Roundabout, and San Ysidro Roundabout have been completed and are currently in use.