Closures planned for Highway 101 project
Crews have finished installing underground supports between the Highway 101 bridges for the new upcoming bridge at the Evans Avenue undercrossing, as shown here. Crews will now work to install rebar for footings, remove the interior barrier rails at night and construct the new median bridge supports and start work on the bridge span.
CARPINTERIA — Several lane closures are planned this week as work continues on the Linden and Casitas Pass Highway 101 widening project in Carpinteria.
From 9 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. Monday, one northbound lane will be closed from Linden Avenue to Sheffield Drive. Similar intermittent overnight closures are planned Monday through Thursday, which will also include the offramp at Santa Claus Lane and the onramps and offramps at Evans Avenue, Ortega Hill Road and Sheffield Drive, according to Caltrans officials.
From 10 p.m. tonight to 7 a.m. Monday, one southbound lane will be closed from Sheffield Drive to Linden Avenue. Similar overnight closures are planned Monday through Friday, which will also include the onramp at Santa Claus Lane and the onramps and offramps at Evans and Wallace avenues.
The southbound onramp at Sheffield Drive will be closed for the duration of the project, with an anticipated reopening date set for 2023. The offramp at Sheffield Drive will be closed for up to 16 months and could reopen by the end of 2021.
The offramp at Carpinteria Avenue will be closed for up to seven weeks as early as Monday and is expected to reopen on March 29. The offramp at Linden Avenue will be closed for five weeks as early as Feb. 13 through March 22.
From 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. tonight through Thursday, Evans Avenue will be closed under the 101 for bridge barrier demolition. Flaggers will be in place to direct traffic with alternating lane closures as needed during daytime work for materials delivery and equipment movement. The majority of work will occur behind safety barriers, with lanes open on Evans Avenue under the freeway bridge, officials said.
Temporary stop signs will be installed at the intersection of Sheffield Drive and North Jameson Lane for the duration of construction of the Summerland segment. During the week of Feb. 15, flaggers will direct traffic as needed during the day on Via Real, between Casitas Pass Road and Linden Avenue, and on Linden Avenue near the 101 to allow crews to transplant palm trees. As needed, the northbound 101 onramp at Linden Avenue will be closed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Crews will install underground storm drains between Sheffield Drive and North Padaro Lane. Crews have removed old nests, installed visual deterrents and will use auditory deterrents to discourage cormorant nesting within the construction area.
Crews will also continue building footings, installing rebar and pouring concrete for columns, side supports and retaining walls for the new bridges in the median at the Sheffield Drive interchange.
Work is also ongoing for the Evans Avenue undercrossing. Crews have finished installing underground supports between the 101 bridges for the new upcoming bridge. Crews will now work to install rebar for footings, remove the interior barrier rails at night and construct the new median bridge supports and start work on the bridge span. Overnight closures from 9 p.m. tonight through 7 a.m. Friday are expected. Loud noise is expected during removals, and during night work flaggers will guide pedestrians through the closure as needed. Crews recommend that pedestrian avoid the area during overnight hours, while lanes and sidewalks will remain open during daytime hours, officials said.
Over the next few weeks, in compliance with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife requirements related to bird nesting, crews will undertake pre-construction work to clear trees and vegetation so that construction can begin on the Padaro segment of the project. The project will add a new, third freeway lane in each direction and new bridges over Toro and Arroyo Parida creeks.
At the South Padaro Lane Undercrossing, the bridge and on- and offramps will be replaced. At the North Padaro Lane Interchange, new on and offramp improvements will be built. There will also be three new sound walls built.
The majority of work will occur in the median and near the South Padaro/Santa Claus Lane on- and offramps.
Following construction, 108 new oak trees will be planted and the center median between Santa Claus and North Padaro lanes will feature the Blue Star Symbol and oak leaves as an update to the Memorial Oaks section to commemorate World War I service.
Crews will continue work on southbound 101 and various ramps. Crews will begin removing old pavement and to prepare for ramp improvements for the Carpinteria and Linden avenue southbound offramps. Work will continue on foundation and posts for new signs, as well as clearing vegetation on the northbound side for the next stage of work.
Work is also ongoing on the approach areas and safety barriers near Franklin and Santa Monica creek bridges.
Also, crews will install underground supports for new wall sections on the south side of the 101 between Carpinteria and Santa Ynez avenues. Work will soon progress to building the wall footings and rebar installation.
In addition, a landscaping contractor is working on new irrigation lines and is planting along southbound 101 between Linden Avenue and Casitas Pass Road.
— Mitchell White
