Highway 101 construction boosted with $75 million federal loan

California Construction News staff writer

A $75 million loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation will fund ongoing work along Highway 101 from Summerland to Carpinteria.

The recently announced loan will be used to continue work on 7.5 miles of carpool lanes along the highway, a piece of a major reconstruction project to add a third lane from Santa Barbara to Caripinteria.

Work also includes adding sound walls, creek crossing improvements, bike lanes, and reconstructing highway and railroad crossings at Sheffield Drive and Cabrillo Boulevard at a total cost of more than $1 billion.

Funds are also coming from Measure A, a half-cent sales tax ballot measure that passed in 2008 for what was billed as a “lane and train” project.

The loan is a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden last year, expanding eligibility for transportation infrastructure finance and innovation financing.

“In addition to better connecting this community to existing employment opportunities, this investment will also generate 5,000-6,000 new good jobs in the region,” Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg said in a statement.

According to the project website, all the highway work is expected to be final some time in 2027.