Santa Rita Road Repairs Begin Next Week, Drivers Warned of Brief Delays

The San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Works announced on November 13 that repair work will begin on several damaged sections of Santa Rita Road from November 17, 2025, through December 5, 2025. 

Officials have urged the drivers to plan their travel accordingly, as brief delays of up to five minutes are expected between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. No lane restrictions or delays are anticipated outside those hours, and the road will remain open at all times. 

Public Works crews are repairing damage caused by the severe winter storms of 2023. 

Public Works will repair various areas of Santa Rita Road between November 17 and December 5, 2025. During the work, there may be traffic delays of up to 5 minutes between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

For more information, please visit: https://t.co/hbLmbB4xuT pic.twitter.com/VR0jFe9faY

— County of SLO Public Works (@SLOCountyPWD) November 13, 2025

Major Recovery Projects from the 2023 Storm

According to San Luis Obispo County, 14 major infrastructure projects are underway as part of a broader effort to repair the widespread destruction caused by the 2023 winter storms. The City staff and FEMA are coordinating to protect the roadways, bridges, homes and businesses.

Each project is in a different stage of design, construction, or close-out. They include,

• Marsh Street Bridge Debris Removal: The project was completed in the fall of 2023.
  
• Mission Street Culvert over Old Garden Creek:  Expected to start in summer 2027.
  
• Nipomo Street Bridge Repair: Construction to begin in summer 2027. 
  
• Old Garden Creek Channel Repair at Cuesta Drive: Completed in December 2023.
  
• Old Garden Creek Repair at North Broad Park: Completed in April 2023.
  
• Prefumo Creek Clearing: Completed in December 2023.
  
• Prefumo Creek Stabilization at the Golf Course: Expected to start in 2027.
  
• Prefumo Grade Structure Replacement: Construction to begin in summer 2026.
  
• San Luis Drive Emergency Repair: Completed in January 2024.
  
• SLO Creek Bank Stabilization at Pismo/Johnson: Completed in December 2023.
  
• SLO Creek Clearing: Completed in February 2023.
  
• SLO Creek at Mission Plaza Repair: Expected to start in summer 2026.
  
• SLO Creek Repairs at Elks Lodge: Construction to begin in summer 2027.
  
• Stenner Creek Culvert Repairs at Olive Street: Expected to start in summer 2027.

The 2023 Winter Storms

In January 2023, San Luis Obispo experienced a 25-year storm event that brought two intense downpours and the second-largest rainfall total recorded in 152 years.

While the storms refilled reservoirs and creeks, they also caused widespread flooding and millions of dollars in property damage. 

From December through March, each storm was declared an emergency in the county that required urgent attention and work by the City crews. 

Public Works identified more than 200 public sites that suffered damage during the storm. Staff have since worked on infrastructure and stabilizing areas vulnerable to future storms. 

As of August 2024, nearly 90% of the identified damage had been repaired, as per the City of San Luis Obispo.