Injured hiker airlifted to hospital
SANTA BARBARA — A female hiker was airlifted to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital on Saturday after suffering a lower leg injury near the summit of Arlington Peak above the city of Santa Barbara, authorities said.
Initial reports came in around 12:20 p.m. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded with an Air Support helicopter, along with a ground ambulance and search and rescue personnel. The helicopter made contact with the patient, a woman in her mid-20s whose name was withheld, and a paramedic was lowered down and the patient was then hoisted up before being transported, said Capt. Daniel Bertucelli, fire spokesman.
No other injuries were reported.
— Mitchell White
Spot fire shut down railroad traffic
SANTA BARBARA — Several small brush fires were reported Saturday afternoon along Highway 101 in the Santa Barbara area.
Spot fires were reported between 5 and 5:30 p.m. in the area of 101 and Carrillo Street, Mission Street and Las Positas Road. Railroad traffic was shut down for a time, according to scanner traffic.
A fire investigator was dispatched to the areas to determine the cause of the blazes. No injuries were reported.
— Mitchell White
Closures planned for Highway 101 project
Construction work is continuing on the new median bridge columns and the bridge span at the Evans Avenue undercrossing as part of the Highway 101 widening project in Carpinteria.
CARPINTERIA — Several lane closures are planned this week as work continues on the Linden and Casitas Pass Highway 101 widening project in Carpinteria.
From 8 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday, one northbound lane will be closed from North Padaro Lane to Sheffield Drive, as well as the onramps and offramps at Evans Avenue, Ortega Hill Road and Sheffield Drive, according to Caltrans officials.
From 8 p.m. Monday to 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, one southbound lane will be close from Sheffield Drive to North Padaro Lane, which includes the onramps and offramps at Evans and Wallace avenues.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Thursday, the southbound onramps and offramps at Bailard Avenue and the onramp at Reynolds Avenue will be closed as needed. Cres will pave gore areas between the southbound lanes and highway ramps, and add a maintenance vehicle pullout at the onramp at Reynolds Avenue, officials said.
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 and is expected to reopen on March 29. The offramp at Linden Avenue will be closed for five weeks as early as Monday through March 22.
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.
Crews will install underground storm drains between Sheffield Drive and North Padaro Lane. Vegetation clearing will continue in preparation for upcoming improvements. Crews will remove old safety barriers from the median and then excavate old pavement and soil.
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.
“As part of the longterm habitat and bird protection plan, biologists and arborists have removed old nests, installed visual deterrents, and will use auditory deterrents to discourage cormorant nesting within the construction area,” read a Caltrans news release. “This effort is to encourage the birds to nest outside the construction zone. At the end of the nesting season, the visual deterrents (beach-ball type balloons, flash tape, etc.) will be removed. Trees will remain as part of the longterm habitat. Biologists are on-site monitoring this effort.”
Construction work is continuing on the new median bridge columns and the bridge span at the Evans Avenue undercrossing.
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 continue regrading in preparation for ramp improvements for the Carpinteria and Linden avenues 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
