Parking near Coast Village in Santa Barbara is likely to be a little tougher during the next few months.

Soon, 24 parking spots along Coast Village Circle will be temporarily closed as part of the Highway 101 rewidening project. A concrete safety barrier will be installed during construction for the safety of the workers.

The rewidening project is a collaboration of Caltrans, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, Santa Barbara County and the City of Santa Barbara.

Kirsten Ayars, a spokeswoman for the project, said the construction will include installing new drainage pipes for the highway.

“In order to install the new line, because there’s also a gas line there, they need to close the parking spots for construction, and then they’ll reopen them when they’re done,” Ayars said.

There is already a drainage pipe in the area, but crews needed to install a longer one because of the widening project.

“It’s good for drainage,” Ayars said. “Every time we replace these, we get improvements … . So, it’s a good thing. It’s just a little inconvenient, especially for people who park on Coast Village Circle towards the freeway.”

Ayars said the work will be done in stages, and the parking spots will be closed as needed. Crews will block a maximum of 24 spots at any one time during construction.

Once the work in one area is complete, the spots will be reopened and spots elsewhere will close. Work at Coast Village Circle has already begun, and four of the spots have been closed off.

The work is expected to last for a few months and could be finished by the end of May. However, Ayars said the work may take longer, depending on the weather.