Major Road Work on Hollister at Ward and Dearborn on Thursday

City Advises Going Another Way If Flashing Red Traffic Signals Ahead

Drivers on Hollister Avenue on Thursday who see red flashing traffic signals ahead — at Ward Drive or Dearborn Place — are advised to go another way, the City of Goleta announced on Wednesday. These indicate serious stop-and-go traffic is ahead as construction crews are moving the entire road to the south side of Hollister Avenue under the 217 underpass. From early morning onward, traffic will be slow and additional time will be needed to make the journey.

Bridge work is about to begin in earnest, having torn up the area for the past several months. The San Jose Creek Bridge on Hollister is deteriorating rapidly due to the reactive aggregate used in its construction in 1964, with significant cracking in the deck and also in the pile caps below that spread the load of the supporting beams. As well, the bridge will be widened to accommodate 100-year storms. Currently, it is sized for 25-year storms, which is one reason Old Town floods so badly.

The work to create a single set of lanes in each direction — on the ocean side of the road — should be completed by Thursday evening, when the flashing signals are set to end.

The city notes congestion will continue and that pedestrians and bicycles will be sharing the constrained space for about the next six months, while crews work on the other side of the bridge and road.

The complete bridge replacement is the major portion of the city’s Project Connect, about which more information can be found here.