Summertime Is Street Work Time in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbarans may need to add a few minutes to their drive if their destination is anywhere in town, as street detours are popping up everywhere unexpectedly.

Work on Santa Barbara Street has left a silky-smooth surface, for example, but this Wednesday morning, a line of cones appeared in the middle of some intersections. Standing downwind made it clear there were sewer lines down there.

Jim Dewey, who manages street operations and infrastructure for the city, explained the sewer holes were an example of the need to bring water valves and manhole covers up to the level of a newly laid street.

The summer is the best time to roll asphalt onto the streets after they’ve been repaired, he said. “When the material comes out of the plant, it’s almost 300 degrees,” Dewey said. It starts to cool immediately as trucks move it up the 101 from Santa Paula. “We have to get it placed and rolled and compacted before it gets to 140 degrees. The colder it is outside, the faster the asphalt cools, and there’s less time to place it and get the compaction we need.”

He went on to explain that any concrete work to fix uplifted sidewalks and add curb ramps needed to be done ahead of road repairs. That’s why so many intersections in a row and side streets have been full of trucks, jackhammers, and road workers.

“It’s a major issue for one or two days,” he added, “but we always have an alternative route. And once we’re done, the finished product is always nice.”

Information on ongoing city public works projects can be found at this map.

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