A construction crew has started the years-long process of widening the Santa Maria River Bridge. They’ll widen the traffic artery connecting Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties by one lane in each direction, for a total of six lanes.
Politicians from the local, state, and federal level joined Caltrans and California Highway Patrol officials to break ground on the $47 million-project on Sept. 30.
An estimated 65,000 people drive on the bridge every day, but that number is expected to surpass the 100,000 mark by the end of the decade.
State Sen. Sam Blakeslee said securing the funds for the project “has been a partnership at every level of government.”
“We thought we had the money [for the bridge expansion] years ago, but then Los Angeles reared its ugly head and the money went to the L.A. Basin,” Blakeslee said, referring to the last-minute cancellation of the bridge widening in 2007 in favor of a major freeway project to the south.
“But we didn’t give up,” he continued. “This project is going to be putting people to work and making a difference for the next 30 to 50 years to come.”
More than half of the project’s price tag is funded by Proposition 1B, a 2006 voter-approved transportation bond. The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) will contribute $7.8 million to construction through Measure A funds, and the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) will contribute $2.5 million through regional transportation funds.
In addition to the widening, the project will include a bike path and pedestrian access to the north and south of the bridge. The path will be separated by 10-foot shoulders and concrete barriers.
“This section of Highway 101 is an important route, used by local commuters, tourists, and the large agricultural community on the Central Coast. The widening of the bridge will improve safety for everyone,” Acting Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said in a statement after the event.
Project contractor Flat Iron West Inc. of San Marcos is expected to complete construction by 2013. Caltrans officials are taking steps to minimize impacts to motorists by scheduling work at night and behind barriers during commute times.
This article appears in Oct 6-13, 2011.
