Work to begin on Goleta bridge
GOLETA — Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-April on a four-year bridge replacement project on State Route 217 above San Jose Creek in Goleta.
The bridge is just north of the entrance to UCSB.
Caltrans said construction will occur during the daytime and overnight hours.
The traveling public can expect traffic delays as well as closures of Sandspit Road’s on- and off-ramps, periodic lane closures, and full highway closures with exact dates and times to be determined.
Caltrans said that according to nearby traffic volume stations, upward of 5,200 vehicles travel the bridges every day.
The existing four-lane highway bridge was constructed in 1963. The new bridges have been designed to current standards and flood elevations.
The contractor for this $26 million project is M.C.M. Construction Inc. of North Highlands, CA. Bridge construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.
A follow-up plant establishment project will be completed in fall 2027.
A second project will begin this summer on the Highway 101 San Jose Creek Bridge, just north of State Route 217. The northbound and southbound bridges will be demolished and replaced in separate phases, keeping traffic open but with fewer lanes. Caltrans will release more information on this project when details are certain.
— Katherine Zehnder
Santa Barbara police to conduct DUI checkpoint
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence checkpoint March 16 at an undisclosed location.
DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints are to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.
“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” traffic investigator Kasper said in a news release. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improves traffic safety.”
The Santa Barbara Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.
Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.
— Katherine Zehnder
