It's open again! A major state highway in Santa Barbara County shut down for weeks because of cracks in the roadway reopened for limited access on the Fourth of July.
Highway 154 was closed June 22 near San Antonio Creek Road, just north of Santa Barbara when the cracking was first noticed. Landslide activity on the mountain slope next to the highway started the cracking.
The shutdown forced through traffic between Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley to use Highway 101. Crews have been working around the clock to stabilize the mountain slope, and the roadway.
The damaged section of Highway 154 reopened to one-way, alternating traffic Thursday, using temporary stoplights to control the traffic. Caltrans officials say motorists should expect extended delays, so using Highway 101 is still the preferred route.
