Mission Canyon Safety Project

Project Background

This project is located on Route 192 (primarily the 2700 and 2800 blocks of Foothill Road) between Alamar Avenue and Mission Canyon Road.  This is a safety project to eliminate roadside hazards, primarily the drainage ditches along the north and south sides of the road. The ditches will be replaced with an underground storm drain, and driveways and mailboxes will be reconstructed. Paved shoulders, 4' to 5' wide, will be added, next to the existing narrow lanes, for bicycle and pedestrian travel. The project construction is expected to cost $1.7 million.

The work will require removal of approximately 16 trees along the corridor, after evaluating each for root damage or conflicts with construction. Replacement trees will be planted at the Route 192/154 interchange area, and additional planting opportunities along the road on private property will be explored. New concrete surfaces, such as drainage inlets and walls, will be colored to match the surrounding materials. Most utility relocations have already been completed, but additional work on gas and water pipelines will be included in the construction work. The project will be constructed in stages, including one stage that requires a full closure of Route 192 to construct a large cross culvert and relocate a water main.

The rock box culvert near 2811 Foothill will be removed where it crosses the road and the remainder will be abandoned in place. It is important to understand that the rock ditch/wall near Foothill and Mission Canyon Road, as opposed to the rock box culvert, is not part of the Caltrans project so it will be unchanged.

The project has been awarded to R.Burke Corporation and is scheduled to proceed as follows. Dates are approximate:

February 18-19 2009: The selected removal of fourteen trees was performed the week of February 15 to avoid nesting birds. There are an additional two trees that are under consideration for removal. Fifteen of the original thirty-one trees considered for removal were saved, including almost all of the mature oaks and olive trees. Of the sixteen removed, several were dead or in an unhealthy condition.

April 2009: The road was closed to traffic near 2811 Foothill Road 24/7 beginning on April 20. This closure was required for the relocation of a cross-culvert and water lines. This closure also allowed work to progrees on a retaining wall and large drainage junction boxes. There is access through the project area for emergency vehicles at all times.

May 5-18 2009: Jesusita Fire starts on May 5. Emergency vehicles are able to move through the project area. Work is suspended, delaying progress on the project.

May 18 through July 2009: Most of the remaining construction will take place, including the completion of the retaining wall, water line relocation, cross culvert, culverts along north and south side of 2700 and 2800 blocks of Foothill, other drainage structures and inlets and paving of new shoulders. Foothill Road continues to be closed between Tye Road and Cheltenham to all public vehicular traffic, but will remain open for emergency access.

July 31, 2009: Foothill Road is expected to reopen to the public.

August 2009: Remaining construction will be completed, including drainage work on Foothill near La Combadura Road, Glen Albyn Road and Tornoe Road. This work will include one-way traffic control.

Details of the full road closure: A detour will be provided using Mission Canyon Road, Los Olivos Street, Garden Street, Constance Avenue, State Street and Alamar Avenue. This stage has been scheduled late in the rainy season but early in the fire season to minimize the risk of the closure. Caltrans is working with the Contractor and local emergency responders to ensure that adequate routes are available if evacuations become necessary.

Parking: The narrow shoulders and adjacent paved drainage ditch are for non-motorized travel and drainage purposes and are not intended for on-street parking. Caltrans is working with Santa Barbara County Planning staff to develop a parking strategy for the segment, which may include signing of no parking zones along the roadway.

Caltrans has been coordinating with elected officials and the Mission Canyon Association and incorporated several improvements at their request. A project update was presented at the MCA annual meeting on Tuesday, March 31.