A heavily traveled corridor in the city of Santa Barbara is getting much-needed repairs to improve traffic safety and pedestrian access.
Mission Street, between Highway 101 and State Street, will undergo extensive upgrades to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, with repairs to uneven sidewalks, curbs and gutters.
The estimated $2.5 million project will repave the entire roadway, and the deteriorated “dips” at the Mission and Bath streets intersection will be smoothed.
The city hopes to start construction around the beginning of July and finish in five months, assuming no delays, City Engineer Erik Goodall said.
“With all of the cross gutters, there is still going to be some dip as you cross the street, but it’s going to be significantly decreased,” Goodall said. “The amount of slope across Mission Street — which creates sort of a wobbly, back-and-forth bounce at some of the intersections — will be made better.”
Plans call for upgrading 12 sidewalk ramps and shortening pedestrian crossings at the Mission and De La Vina streets intersection, making the area easier for walkers to navigate.
The project will also replace failing underground traffic signal controllers, and plant new trees.
Much of the project work will be done on the weekends, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Temporary detours and alternating lane closures are dependent on the contractor’s traffic-control plans, according to the city. There also will be temporary Highway 101 ramp closures.
The city is planning several construction phases to complete the project.
“Because it’s such a tight area, we have different phases on Mission Street,” Project Engineer Max Kashanian said. “It’s a narrow street and we have to phase it out.”
The city’s website will be updated when more information is available, Kashanian said.
Project funding comes from state gas taxes (contributing $1.5 million), and voter-approved Measure C dollars, according to project plans.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
