Crews have started building a temporary bridge on East Mountain Drive, at the Cold Spring Creek crossing where people park for the popular trailhead.
The bridge will reconnect Mountain Drive for the first time after the Jan. 9, 2018, Montecito flash flooding and debris flows, according to the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department.
Southern California Edison settlement funds will pay for the bridge replacement and road repairs in the Montecito area, according to Public Works.
The low-water crossing at Cold Spring Creek was washed out during a massive debris flow that fateful morning, and the bridge installed now will be in place for several years until a permanent replacement is built.
Caltrans has finished replacing or repairing damaged bridges along Highway 192/East Valley Road in Montecito, and the county most recently finished building a new Ashley Road bridge.
Repairs to Montecito roadways and other infrastructure continue in the aftermath of the deadly flash flooding and debris flows, which killed 23 people and destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes in Montecito in the aftermath of the December 2017 Thomas Fire.
(Beth Moore / Noozhawk video)
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
