GOLETA Caltrans is planning to reopen the Highway 101 southbound onramp at Turnpike Road on Friday following emergency repairs for a sinkhole between the ramp and shoulder.
The sinkhole was discovered Dec. 27 and the ramp was immediately closed. Excavation work under an emergency contract began Jan. 10, with construction planned seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. The project included repairing the entire length of deteriorated corrugated steel pipe at depths of up to 40 feet below the surface, said Jim Shivers, Caltrans District 5 spokesman.
The ramp was expected to be reopened in early February, though crews discovered additional damage to the pipe and needed to conduct additional excavation. Caltrans crews on Wednesday began repaving the ramp, Mr. Shivers wrote on Twitter.
The contractor for the $1 million project is Santa Barbara-based Granite Construction.