Highway 154 has been closed for more than a week as Caltrans crews clear rockfalls and mudslides from the roadway that connects the Santa Barbara South Coast and the Santa Ynez Valley.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there still was no estimate for when the highway will reopen.
It was shut down Jan. 9, the day a powerful storm hit the region, from Foothill Road/Highway 192 near Santa Barbara to the Highway 246 roundabout near Santa Ynez.
The roadway itself is mostly cleared by now, Caltrans District 5 spokeswoman Alexa Bertola said.
On Tuesday, crews were fixing drainage, and a geotechnical engineering team was on site for slope assessments, which look at hillsides above the highway to make sure they don’t come down, she said.
“We don’t have a time frame for when the road will be reopened, but we’re just taking it day by day,” Bertola said.
“There are multiple spots that are of concern that span the entire stretch of the highway.”
A massive rock slide blocked Highway 154 below just West Camino Cielo on the Santa Barbara side of San Marcos Pass on Jan. 9, 2023.. Credit: Heather Bond photo 
A landslide across Highway 154 as seen on Jan. 10, 2023. Credit: Peter Hartmann / Noozhawk photo 
Rock nets on Highway 154 were full after a powerful storm hit Santa Barbara County on Jan. 9, 2023. Credit: Peter Hartmann / Noozhawk photo 
Flooding on Paradise Road at Highway 154 as seen on Jan. 10, 2023. Credit: Peter Hartmann / Noozhawk photo 
A waterfall down the side of the hill as seen from Highway 154 near Windy Gap on Jan. 10, 2023. Credit: Peter Hartmann / Noozhawk photo 
A new waterfall cascades toward Highway 154 near West Camino Cielo on Jan. 9, 2023. Credit: Heather Bond photo 
Caltrans crews had to clear rocks from Highway 101 near Gaviota to reopen northbound lanes last week. Credit: Caltrans photo 
Caltrans crews had to clear rocks from Highway 101 near Gaviota to reopen northbound lanes last week. Credit: Caltrans photo 
Caltrans cleared mud and debris from Highway 101 and North Jameson Lane near San Ysidro Creek in Montecito last week. Credit: Caltrans photo
The Jan. 9 storm caused major damage throughout Santa Barbara County, including flooding, mudslides, debris flows and saturated soil. There were reports of homes and businesses being flooded, roadway flooding and washouts, and fallen trees.
The Highway 154 corridor is “super saturated,” and San Marcos Pass has received 30.9 inches of rain this month, Bertola said.
During last week’s powerful storm, San Marcos Pass was hit with record-making amounts of rain: more than 12 inches in one day, said Eric Boldt of the National Weather Service Oxnard Office.
The Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park and Cold Spring Tavern are closed while the highway is closed.
Residents of communities along the closed highway are being allowed in and out of the area if safely possible, Bertola said.
“In this case, there are local detours that locals should be familiar with,” she added.
Drivers on either side of the closure, on the South Coast or Santa Ynez Valley, have to detour via Highway 101.
Highway 154 was closed over the weekend in Los Olivos between Caulkins Road and Alamo Pintado Avenue for bridge repairs.
Caltrans was repairing Alamo Pintado Creek bridge abutments damaged by running water because of a drain failure, Bertola said. That section of the highway reopened Tuesday afternoon.
Caltrans District 5 on Tuesday reopened some North County highway sections that were previously closed because of flooding, including Highway 1 between Solomon Road and Black Road near Guadalupe, and Highway 135 between Bell Street and Harris Grade in Los Alamos.
Highway 166 between Santa Maria and Cuyama is open, although there are some closures farther east on the highway in Kern County.
One lane of Highway 101 remained closed in each direction at the Gaviota Tunnel because of rockfalls during last week’s storm.
Check California highway closures and traffic at Caltrans’ Quickmap website here.
View Santa Barbara County’s storm-related road closures here and below.
Get storm recovery resources here: https://www.readysbc.org/3683/January-2023-Storm-Recovery
The websites have information about virtual and in-person assistance centers; discovery resource center/FEMA assistance programs; document and personal property replacement; returning home after a disaster; business resources; insurance documentation; property tax disaster relief; rebuilding/case management; and mental health resources.
“If you’ve had damage caused by the storm, please take photos! Documenting all damage with photos is very important for getting state and federal assistance—and it’s just as important for you if you’ll need reimbursement through your insurance,” according to the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management.