About District 5

District 5 is made up of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties The district is the home of nearly 750 Caltrans employees including 340 field employees. It has an estimated operating budget for the 2005/2006 fiscal year of $53 million.

There are 30 freeways and highways located within District 5 that if placed end-to-end would stretch for 1,169 miles. That would be the same as driving from San Diego to Reno and back. These highways range from scenic two-lane highways to controlled-access freeways. The district is also home to Highway 101, which is one of three major north and south routes connecting northern and southern California.

There are 33 cities and 7,788,809 acres in the five-county district, with a population of over 1.3 million people. There are 6.9 billion vehicle miles traveled through the district. Building, operating and maintaining the highway system within such a unique environment demands careful consideration in virtually all District projects. The District must maintain a careful balance to preserve and protect the sensitive environment while meeting the needs of an ever-increasing population who utilize the state highway system.

The district is home to one of the most picturesque and diverse landscapes in the nation. President Roosevelt was at the Grand Opening of Highway 1 between Morro Bay and Carmel on June 27, 1938. Originally estimated to cost $1.5 million, the 139-mile section of Highway 1 included 33 bridges and was completed at a cost of $10 million or $71,000 per mile. The project to build the highway was begun in 1919 and completed in 1937. Today Bixby Creek Bridge, on the north end of the highway, is one of the most photographed man-made structures in the nation.

By the end of 2006, many important highway improvement projects will be under construction, including the Highway 1/17 merge lanes project in Santa Cruz County, the widening of Highway 101 through Santa Maria (Santa Barbara County) to three lanes in each direction, and a major re-paving of Highway 152 in Watsonville (Santa Cruz County).

Formerly known as the Division of Highways, Caltrans was established by the State Legislature in 1972. The department is primarily responsible for planning, designing, constructing, maintaining and operating the state highway system. Other responsibilities include mass transit system enhancement, railroad system development, sea port and waterway expansion, air transportation planning, and assisting area governments and agencies in planning and developing local transportation improvements.

To reach the District 5 reception desk by phone from the:

Monterey Pennisula area: (831) 372-0862 Salinas area: (831) 753-0187 San Luis Obispo area: (805) 549-3111 Santa Barbara area: (805) 568-0858 Santa Cruz Area: (831) 423-0396

Questions, comments, or suggestions pertaining to construction activities or travel throughout District 5 can be directed to the Public Information Office