Architectural board endorses design refinements for Highway 101 Segment 4E North; no formal action taken

The Architectural Board of Review on April 1 reviewed design refinements for Segment 4E North of the Highway 101 HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) improvements and offered generally favorable feedback, but did not take a formal vote on approvals.

The board’s review covered bridge column placement and capitals, slope paving and cobble mix, truck-apron material, splitter-island material, retaining-wall cap color and texture, bridge barrier staining, landscaping changes at the Cabrillo roundabout, and the proposed use of a thicker, patina-stained metal beam guardrail to match other corridor segments. Fred Luna of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments told the board the team has completed a 100% plan package and aims to secure construction funding in early 2026 and begin construction in March 2026.

The board’s comments focused on visual coordination with nearby corridor elements and pedestrian safety. Christine Anderson of Mark Thomas (consultant team) described design changes made after a constructability review, including aligning the bridge columns with the structure (eight exterior columns, 4-by-4 feet each, with two skewed to match the roadway skew) and adding column capitals "similar to Cacique." She also described changes to slope paving and a proposed switch to the Los Patos roundabout truck-apron…