Traffic lanes on a northbound section of Highway 101 in Santa Barbara have shifted as construction crews begin groundwork for the two new bridges on the freeway.
On Tuesday, crews began using flaggers at Cabrillo Boulevard under Highway 101 to allow for delivery of equipment for the new median bridges.
The flaggers were expected to be present as needed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The work is part of the northbound section of the Highway 101 project that will widen the freeway and add other infrastructure.
Construction on the freeway started on the north and south sections of Highway and met in the middle.
The Highway 101 project was originally split into multiple segments to allow local governments to pay for construction as work progressed, rather than a single lump sum.
The total cost is an estimated $700 million. It is partially funded by Measure A.
The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments announced in 2025 that it secured $134 million in funding for the last portion of the project.
That is the Santa Barbara North segment. Construction in this segment will be completed by the end of 2028, but landscaping will continue until 2030.
Along with new carpool lanes, this section will add ramps and new bridges.
According to Kirsten Ayars, a representative for the Highway 101 project, crews are preparing to install underground supports for the bridges. The work will be completed during the day, along with the area’s retaining walls.
During construction, existing lanes have temporarily shifted on the northbound side of Highway 101 to give workers space to complete their work in the median.
Ayars added that Caltrans did a major traffic lane change in the middle of June on the southbound section of the freeway. Traffic on the southbound side was switched to the far right.
“That was one of the last big traffic switches,” Ayars said.
Of the three sections still being completed, the Montecito segment and the Santa Barbara South segment are both on track to be finished by the end of 2026. Both segments also have new pavement.
Ayars added that there will be no construction during the Fourth of July weekend due to the amount of traffic, but some crew members may be working on the side of the freeway.
