Drivers Brace for New Challenges in the Montecito Construction Zone
John Palminteri
MONTECITO, Calif. – The message came out month ago, about new construction updates in the Montecito segment of the Highway 101 widening project. It wasn’t going to be easy to work on the lanes, ramps, bridges and landscaping without some stress on commuters, maybe more than the other sections from Carpinteria north.
That work resulted in a split in the northbound lanes that just came back together. The southbound lanes will get the feel of it in the next week.
Crews will be moving the K-rail and split the lanes as part of the work design. Overall, no matter what is being done, the plan is to keep two lanes open in both directions.
“Oh my goodness. I guess I am going to avoid it for awhile,” Trish Mahan said as she came out of a local store.
There will also be changes to the way southbound drivers go from Coast Village Road to Highway 101 toward Carpinteria. The next available on-ramp will be at Sheffield Dr. once this work gets underway.
It’s still to be seen what the real day-to-day impacts will be. Peak periods are often afternoons and early evening hours when thousands of workers, who have driven up from their homes in Ventura County, are trying to go home by squeezing into the two lanes of traffic.
They will find relief however, once they get to Summerland when the three lane section is now available.
In the meantime, “I grab the wheel a little tighter. Yeah. I concentrate. You need to concentrate when you go through there. Definitely do. Can’t have your mind on something else, ” said Tony Handler a resident about 30 years.
A worker in the area says drivers are anxious and it’s a problem. Brandon Aubert said, “people in this area really seem to be impatient they have no care about other people really. “
One resident where a detour will take place on North Jameson Lane says the drivers often speed in the area by her house. Susan Herting said, “cars come so fast on the frontage road there and the bikes. Our kids and grand kids (are out) I wish they (drivers) would slow down there.”
In the big picture, recently more funding came in for the Santa Barbara portion of the project.
The freeway widening project has been in motion for years, but the cost and the funding sources were always limiting what could be done and when. Now, the funding for the final segment has been approved. It was the largest award in the State of California on this particular grant from the California Transportation Commission. It is the last little piece of the puzzle. The allocation for the freeway work is $137 million in voter approved state money.
The project is being guided by many agencies including the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments.
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