City of Santa Barbara Completes Olive Mill Roundabout

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SANTA BARBARA, CA – May 8, 2024

The City of Santa Barbara is pleased to announce the completion of the Olive Mill Roundabout Project (Roundabout). The Roundabout was a multi-agency partnership between the City of Santa Barbara, County of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), and Caltrans to enhance traffic operations and safety for motor vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians at the intersection of Olive Mill Road, Coast Village Road, and North Jameson Lane. The Roundabout also improves traffic flow on the northbound Highway 101 off-ramp at Olive Mill Road as well as the southbound Highway 101 on-ramp at Olive Mill Road.

The center of the Roundabout is planted with olive trees and low-level vegetation and features a beautiful sandstone retaining wall with cobblestone apron. Street lighting around the Roundabout provides safety and aesthetic enhancements. On the mountain side of the Roundabout, pedestrians can now utilize the crosswalks and bicyclists can either take the lane through the Roundabout or walk bikes using pedestrian sidewalks and crosswalks.

We are grateful for the support and cooperation of our residents, businesses, and partners throughout the duration of the Project.

“At the Olive Mill Roundabout, we are seeing a project that meets the requirements of three different jurisdictions – the City, County, and Caltrans. It was not easy getting here, but look at the fantastic results for our community,” said Santa Barbara Mayor and SBCAG Director Randy Rowse.

The Olive Mill Roundabout was recently celebrated along with the San Ysidro Roundabout by local officials, press, and partner jurisdictions at an event on May 2, 2024. The San Ysidro Roundabout replaces the intersection at San Ysidro Road, North Jameson Lane, and the northbound Highway 101 on- and off-ramps at San Ysidro Road.

The Olive Mill and the San Ysidro Roundabouts are $18.3 million construction projects funded by local, state, and federal funds and are mitigation projects for the Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara Project.

“We have long known that this project is a priority for the County, SBCAG, and the City of Santa Barbara,” said First District County Supervisor and SBCAG Director Das Williams. “It is good to see our agencies come together to make this a priority and get these roundabouts built and functional ahead of the Highway 101 improvements. Without these roundabouts, the old intersections would have continued to get worse with backups and congestion. These roundabouts already help us while construction is going on and will continue to serve us for many, many years ahead.”

For more Project details, visit: SantaBarbaraCA.gov/OliveMill

To read about the Olive Mill and San Ysidro Roundabouts Celebration, visit: https://www.SBCAG.org/olive-mill-and-san-ysidro-roundabouts-celebration