Construction will begin this month on additional repairs to roads and bridges affected by the Thomas Fire and the Jan. 9 debris flow. The projects include the repair of 28 lane miles of road and construction of a temporary bridge at the Cold Springs Trailhead.

Nearly $6 million in Southern California Edison settlement funds will pay for the road repair ($5.7 million) and bridge replacement ($230,000).

“As we continue to recover from the Thomas Fire and the Jan. 9 debris flow in so many ways, we hope that this widespread repair of Montecito’s damaged roads and bridges will restore a familiarity of being home where needed most, especially during these extra challenging times,” said First District Supervisor Das Williams.

Construction will begin on June 7 to re-connect East Mountain Road at the Cold Springs Trailhead. The low water crossing that was destroyed during the debris flow will be replaced with a temporary bridge. This bridge will remain in place for about three years until a permanent bridge can be built.

CalPortland Construction is the contractor for this project and construction is expected to finish by mid-July.

Granite Construction will begin the road repair project on June 15. Paving for the project is scheduled to finish by late August. Santa Barbara County Public Works prioritized the road sections in the project based on the amount of use and damage due to the fire and debris flow. Additional road sections will be repaired in future projects over the next year.

For a list of streets included in the project, visit http://countyofsb.org/uploadedFiles/pwd/Content/Roads/820764_streetlist_01.pdf.

Work is expected to occur 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Drivers should be aware of reduced speed zones, road closures, detours, and increased traffic control when driving through the construction sites. Traffic signs will announce any significant delays or temporary road closures.

Motorists are asked to observe construction area signs and prepare to stop when traveling through the work site for the safety of crew members and other travelers.

For an updated list of road closures, visit http://countyofsb.org/pwd/road.sbc.