Starting on Monday morning, February 18, the northbound fast lane on Highway 101 will be closed all day and all night for the next month from the Gaviota State Park entrance to just north of the Gaviota Tunnel as Caltrans makes safety repairs to the roadway. On Monday, which is President’s Day, the popular rest stop next to the tunnel will also be closed, and it is not yet known whether that picnic area and bathroom will be closed for the length of the project.
Caltrans crews will be working from February 18 until mid-March to repair about 200 feet of guardrail that were obliterated when a large truck crashed. Work will also be done to stabilize the embankment below the road and on Gaviota Creek, which winds through the pass between the north- and southbound highway lanes. The project will cost $750,000, and is being handled by San Luis Obispo’s Specialty Construction.
Caltrans expects that delays will not be longer than 15 minutes, which is little solace to the thousands who commute from the North County to the South Coast and back again each day. To help get the word out and ease the confusion, electronic message boards will be working throughout the coming month to alert motorists.
For updates, see this website.