The City of Santa Barbara on Wednesday formally unveiled its new roundabout at the intersection of Cabrillo Boulevard and Los Patos Way.
It's more than just a pretty public works project. The roundabout is intended to improve traffic flow for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians when city crews begin reconfiguring the Highway 101 offramp up the road next year.
"What a significant milestone not only our community, but it is also a testament to collaboration," said Jessica Grant, supervising transportation planner for the City of Santa Barbara. "This is a joint project to reduce traffic congestion and enhance mobility for all."
The $13 million project was funded through state and federal grant funds in a collaboration of the City of Santa Barbara, Caltrans and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments.
Next year, Caltrans plans to close the northbound, left-handed offramp at Cabrillo Boulevard and begin reconfiguring the interchange to create a southbound onramp at the location. Motorists have gone a decade without the southbound onramp, having to either get on the highway at Milpas Street or through Coast Village Road.
In addition, the city plans to close the Los Patos Way unmarked exit southbound on Highway 101 and restore the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. The new roundabout is intended to increase mobility and flow during all of the construction that is planned to begin next year in the area.
"It improves traffic circulation at this key location," said Fred Luna, director of project delivery and construction for SBCAG. "This will be more heavily used based on detours and construction, so having this at its optimum operations is important for the city and the community."
Top brass attended the event on Wednesday, including Grant, Luna, Marjie Kirn, executive director of SBCAG, Sarkes Khachek, director of programming, Kelly McAdoo, city administrator for Santa Barbara, Geordie Scully, field representative for 21st District state Sen. Monique Limon, and Gunnar Langenhuizen, field representative for 37th District state Assemblyman Gregg Hart, D-Santa Barbara.
Elected officials in attendance included Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse and Councilmen Eric Friedman and Oscar Gutierrez.
McAdoo, who said she regularly runs along Cabrillo Boulevard, added that the parkway was created in the 1920s and that the Planning Commission approved a roundabout at the site to serve as a "gateway boulevard."
"This project has been a long time in the making," McAdoo said.
The City of Santa Barbara for more than a decade fought for so-called "mitigation" or "parallel projects" to help offset the impacts of the widening of Highway 101 to create a third lane in each direction between Montecito and Summerland.
The project at the time was highly controversial with opposition from many to widening the highway for more vehicles. The city, under the leadership of former Mayor Helene Schneider, pushed for roundabouts near the highway interchanges to offset impacts on Santa Barbara roads.
"This was a congested intersection prior to the roundabout, and it will provide benefits when the construction is actually taking place on 101 in both directions," Councilman Eric Friedman said.
Kirn noted that it takes a lot of effort and consistent funding to complete such projects.
"Having this roundabout is going to make it so much easier for people to get through," Kirn said. "It will improve the traffic flow."