Installation of the roadway deck on the Montecito Creek Bridge on Highway 192/East Valley Road in Montecito is the most visible progress in the effort to repair and rebuild spans damaged or destroyed by the Jan. 9, 2018, flash flooding and debris flows.
Crews last week began installing the prefabricated concrete sections of the deck for the bridge at the base of Parra Grande Lane, between Hot Springs and Sycamore Canyon roads, according to Caltrans.
Work on the project continues from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. seven days a week, Caltrans spokesman Jim Shivers said.
The bridge is expected to reopen to traffic with some restrictions by July, he added.
Elsewhere in Montecito, new rails have been installed on the upstream side of the Toro Canyon Bridge, also on Highway 192/East Valley Road, and work has shifted to the downstream side.
The span is open with one-way reversing traffic control, and lanes of the bridge are expected to reopen in June.
Utility work is expected to be completed by the middle of this month on the Arroyo Paradon Bridge, with final paving scheduled for early May.
This bridge is expected to reopen to the public in mid-May.
Lash Construction of Santa Barbara is the contractor for the $10 million replacement of the Arroyo Paradon Bridge.
“Barricades and locked gates will continue to secure the Montecito Creek and Arroyo Paredon Creek locations with detours available via local roads,” Shivers said. “Emergency responders will maintain access to these locked areas for public safety.”
Caltrans has installed crash cushions on the San Ysidro Creek Bridge, the Romero Canyon Creek Bridge and the Toro Canyon Creek Bridge, all on Highway 192/East Valley Road.
“Caltrans is working with the contractor, Security Paving of Sylmar, on the $20 million project to restore full access to all five bridges within this corridor, and is striving to complete most of these projects by summer 2019, weather permitting,” Shivers said.
Segments of Highway 192 are open to motorists, but through traffic is strongly advised to continue using Highway 101, according to Caltrans. Highway 192/East Valley Road remains closed at multiple locations between Sycamore Canyon Road to the west and Cravens Lane in Carpinteria on the east.
Click here for more information on these projects and for traffic updates on other Caltrans projects in Santa Barbara County, or call the District 5 Public Affairs Office at 805.549.3237.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.