Following a judge’s ruling, Caltrans is republishing certain environmental documents for the Cold Spring Canyon Bridge suicide barrier project and will hold a public hearing on Jan. 5.

The draft supplemental environmental impact report on the Highway 154 project is now available online, and paper copies are available at the following locations:

» Caltrans District 5 Office, 50 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo

» Santa Barbara Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara

» Solvang Branch Library, 1745 Mission Drive, Solvang

» Goleta Branch Library, 500 N. Fairview Ave., Goleta

» Montecito Branch Library, 1469 East Valley Road, Montecito

The 45-day comment period is under way and ends Jan. 24, according to Caltrans public information officer Jim Shivers. Comments can be sent to senior environmental planner Matt Fowler at matt_fowler@dot.ca.gov.

After beginning construction on the $3 million-plus project that’s slated to place 9-foot-7-inch metal barriers on either side of the narrow bridge that spans a portion of Highway 154, Caltrans was ordered to put the project on hold as the result of a civil lawsuit.

Friends of the Bridge, a citizens group, argued that draft environmental documents didn’t comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, which resulted in the construction hold and republishing of certain documents — including alternatives to the mesh barrier.

Since the bridge’s completion in 1963, there have been 54 documented suicides, according to Santa Barbara County Coroner’s Bureau records, which prompted Caltrans and The Glendon Association to pursue a physical barrier. There have been two suicides this year.

Click here for Noozhawk’s series on the Cold Spring Canyon Bridge barrier project.

The impact of the delay and possible project changes to the cost and overall time line are unclear. Already, construction costs are $100,000 more than the bid price of $648,000, and administrative costs will push the total price tag toward, and likely above, $3 million.

The public hearing will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5 in the cafeteria at San Marcos High School, 4750 Hollister Ave.

Caltrans officials, including District 5 representative Colin Jones, are scheduled to be in attendance. More information will become available closer to the hearing date.

— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews.