Several blocks of the City of Santa Barbara’s main roadway across the Riviera is slated to close between Monday, March 23, through to the end of April while Public Works replaces a water main, weather permitting.
The roadwork takes place along Alameda Padre Serra, also known locally as APS, which is a main route between the city and Montecito and to Santa Barbara Junior and Senior high schools, as well as three elementary schools. The work will occur in three phases:
• During the first two weeks, the block between Gutierrez Street and the roundabout at APS/Salinas/Sycamore Canyon/Montecito streets will be impassable while the main is replaced at the bridge over Sycamore Creek.
• Then, APS will close along that stretch during work hours — 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. — but the westbound lane will be open afterhours and on the weekend.
• Last, APS will close for three blocks — from Gutierrez to Las Alturas Road — during work hours only. The city suggests taking a detour down De la Guerra Street.
The work, a collaboration between Public Works and the Water Resources Department, is part of the city’s goal to renew 2 percent of the miles-long system every year. Carson Wollert, an engineer with the water department, said a number of factors went into the pipes that are being replaced, a history of breaking and age among them, and that selection and design on this particular project had been ongoing since fiscal year 2023-24.
