Work is set to start in two weeks on the final segment of a Highway 101 widening project from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara.
What's being called the Santa Barbara North project will add a carpool lane in both directions from Hermosillo Road to Salinas Street. The Cabrillo Boulevard interchange will be rebuilt with two new bridges and a roundabout.
The existing freeway lanes will be rebuilt to improve visibility. Lighting and drainage systems will also be upgraded.
The project will complete the last 3.9 miles of the 10.9 mile widening project to relieve traffic congestion from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara. The project is expected to be mostly completed by late 2028, with landscaping extending into 2029. The entire project will cost about $700 million, with about $560 million coming from the state.
