Santa Barbara’s Vision Zero State Street undercrossing construction begins in October

California Construction News staff writer

Construction is set to start this month on the Vision Zero State Street undercrossing project, a major facelift to the undercrossing of Highway 101 in Santa Barbara.

Work will include safety upgrades and is designed to rebalance space for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists through the undercrossing between Yanonali and Gutierrez Streets – to downtown from the waterfront. Through a collaborative effort spanning many years, a  design was developed to “reflect the community’. The structure will include improved lighting and is expected to be completed in 2025.

Sidewalks will also be widened on each side of the street from eight feet to 15 feet. On-street bike lanes will be increased from five to seven feet in width and will have a two- to three-foot protected buffer. The new roadway configuration includes one vehicle lane in each direction, a painted median for emergency access, and reconfigured turn lanes at both Yanonali and Gutierrez Streets.

Additional enhancements include new pedestrian safety lighting and protective railings, reconstructed bridge columns to improve safety and aesthetics, new plantings in the upper planters, irrigation repairs, street tree removal and replacement, and modifications to the intersections at State and Gutierrez Streets and State and Yanonali Streets to reduce crossing distances for pedestrians.

Construction will begin on the east side of the undercrossing starting from the middle of the undercrossing.