SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Granite Construction has secured a $114 million contract to deliver a key segment of highway improvements along California’s heavily traveled Highway 101, marking a major milestone in a long-running infrastructure effort aimed at easing congestion and improving safety.
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The Watsonville, California-based contractor was awarded the Segment 4E North portion of the Highway 101 Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project by Caltrans, according to an April 1 announcement.
The work represents the final mainline segment of the broader 11-mile corridor project, which has been under development for several years along California’s Pacific coast.
Under the contract, Granite will replace existing lanes and construct a new peak-period carpool lane in each direction between Hermosillo Road and Salinas Street in Santa Barbara.
The project also includes reconstruction of the Cabrillo Boulevard interchange, featuring two new bridges and updated right-hand freeway ramps. These will replace existing left-hand exits, a change expected to significantly improve driver safety.
In addition, the design incorporates a teardrop roundabout intended to enhance traffic flow for northbound ramps, helping reduce bottlenecks in one of the region’s busiest corridors.
The award is the seventh and final segment of the Highway 101 phase 4 project. Caltrans previously selected Granite as the construction manager/general contractor for the overall $410 million initiative in 2018, with construction beginning on the first segment in 2020.
“Over the last seven years, Granite has reached agreement on thirteen construction contracts—seven mainline and six ‘parallel’ projects,” Larry Camilleri, Granite regional vice president, said in the release. “We are proud to be part of this landmark effort with Santa Barbara County Association of Governments and Caltrans to complete the final mainline segment in the 11-mile corridor.”
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The project is expected to deliver continuous peak-period carpool lanes across the corridor, a long-anticipated improvement designed to ease congestion and modernize aging infrastructure.
Regional stakeholders, including the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, have emphasized the importance of the upgrades in supporting mobility and economic activity along the Central Coast.
Construction on the final segment is scheduled to begin April 6, with completion targeted for December 2028. Once finished, the improvements will provide more efficient traffic movement and enhanced roadway safety for commuters and freight traffic alike.
The Highway 101 corridor serves as a critical transportation link along California’s coast, and officials say the completion of this final segment will mark a significant step forward in addressing long-standing infrastructure challenges in the region.
Original reporting by Joe Bousquin, Construction Dive.
Read the original article here: https://www.constructiondive.com/news/granite-highway-101-santa-barbara-contract/
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