The end is finally in sight for a billion dollar project to widen Highway 101 between Ventura County and Santa Barbara. That's according to some of the community leaders involved in the nearly two decade long project.
"Well, it's been a long path, but I really feel like we're at the point in the marathon where you can see the finish line," said Democratic State Senator Gregg Hart of Santa Barbara. "Physically standing here, looking up the road, it's that close."
He’s part of a group of county, state and federal officials who gathered in Montecito to celebrate getting more than $132 million in state gas tax money for the second to last phase of the work.
We’re standing on the San Ysidro Road overpass over Highway 101, where a roundabout is being built as part of the highway improvement project.
The highway widening effort is an idea that’s been talked about for more than four decades. Adding a third lane to Highway 101 in both directions between the Ventura County, and Santa Barbara could ease the daily traffic nightmare for thousands of commuters.
Scott Eades is Director of Caltrans District 5, which includes Santa Barbara. "What's underway as a massive construction effort in several different areas of the corridor." said Eades.
There's work underway on a fully funded segment through Summerland, and the new funding is helping to pay for the Montecito segment.
He admits it’s been a long road to get to this point, but says it’s exciting to go from end of the beginning to the beginning of the end. Eades started working on the expansion in 2005, as a Project Supervisor. He said that early on, there were times that it looked liked it would never happen, with money a big issue.
The State Transportation Commission allocated the $132 million for the Montecito segment of the works, as well as for a portion of the final leg to Santa Barbara. Hilary Norton is one of the California Transportation Commission members.
"This is your gas tax (SB 1) dollars at work, making it easier to travel," said Norton.
"SB 1 changed everything. The first slug of funding we got for the first three segments, in the first cycle...boom...we got it done," said Marjie Kirn, who is the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. It’s the umbrella organization which oversees the county’s regional transportation projects.
But, the county’s voters also helped by passing Measure A, a countywide half cent sales tax. State and federal agencies prioritize grants to jurisdictions which contribute money towards their local transportation projects.
The $132 million in funding also include more than $7 million for other public transit projects. It includes money for six electric busses for Santa Barbara’s Metropolitan Transit District, the addition of a bike lane in Summerland, the installation of more electric vehicle chargers in the county, and to put contactless credit card readers in some regional transit buses
It’s going to take an estimated $145 million more for the final phase of the billion dollar project, which takes the 101 expansion all the way into Santa Barbara. Officials are confident they’ll get it.
It’s also going to take more patience. If the money comes through, it’s expected it will take five more years to finish the project. But, Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams says it will be worth it.
"I lived next to the construction project for seven years in Carpinteria," said Williams. "Four of those years I had a pile driver probably within a hundred yards of my house. So, I know people have had some inconvenience. But, that inconvenience is nowhere near the amount of generation-long inconvenience from a freeway that doesn't work."
