Construction begins on phase 1 of Santa Barbara roundabout project

If you walk, drive, or ride down Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara, when you get to Los Patos, you’ll have to stop.

"I usually park at the bird sanctuary, but today because of the construction, I had to park at the zoo," said Martha Neary, who was visiting Santa Barbara on Thursday.

Neary says a little inconvenience doesn’t bother her and she’s happy to see more roundabouts in the city.

"I think it’s a benefit because it prevents all the traffic," Neary said.

Longtime Santa Barbara resident Ken Kalb doesn’t agree.

"I think there are too many roundabouts, I’m gonna get dizzy," he said.

This will be the fifth roundabout in the City of Santa Barbara. The project is part of a mitigation project to help traffic flow as part of the current "US 101 multi-model corridor project" widening Highway 101.

"Congestion is expected to get worse when the freeway widening project begins," said Jessica Grant, a supervision transportation planner for the City of Santa Barbara.

Grant says once complete, there will be less traffic and upgrades to walkways and bike paths. Phase one of the project is expected to cost more than $12 million and take around a year, but that’s only the first phase.

"Another critical piece of the project is the removal of the railroad bridge and widening the bridge," Grant explained.

Supervising engineer Eric Bittle tells KSBY that the contractor in charge of the Cabrillo/Los Patos project is also a lead for the Highway 101 widening.

"That allows them to really do a good job balancing the projects with each other as the work progresses," Bittle said.

The second phase of the project is set to begin in 2026. Funds for phase 2 are currently being sought from competitive state and federal grant sources.