Construction work takes place in June on bridges or undercrossings along Highway 101 as it goes through Santa Barbara, with the work occurring mostly during the night.
Since June 1, Caltrans has been making repairs to Sycamore Creek Bridge and the undercrossings at Cacique, Milpas, and Garden street. The work goes on Sunday through Friday, between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., causing intermittent lane and ramp closures at those streets. In these active construction zones, delays should be limited to 10 minutes, CalTrans stated, with the work expected to finish in mid-July.
Another local task for the state transportation agency is the ever-damp Castillo Street undercrossing. Emergency drainage work begins Sunday, June 7, and will close the Castillo Street offramp overnight intermittently for about two months. Lanes of the offramp will also close about 10 minutes at a time from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. so that work may proceed. Also, the right lane of Castillo Street southbound will be closed for the duration, with bicyclists and pedestrians asked to use the northbound sidewalk.
The high water table at the base of Castillo causes the wet pavement and ensuing drainage issues, a Caltrans project manager explained. In 2024, drainage trenches along the sidewalks and a large vertical drain gave the water south of the overpass a path to the drainage system, which have had positive results. A similar design for the road north of and under the overpass is expected to “provide a long-term solution to managing groundwater,” Caltrans stated in an email.
The construction crews are working 10-hour shifts, five days a week, excluding the upcoming July 4 holiday.
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