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Montecito businesses warn SBCAG board that planned Los Patos ramp closure will 'devastate' storefronts
Summary
At a Highway 101 update, project staff outlined construction milestones and permanent closure of the substandard Los Patos ramp; a local business owner urged delaying the closure, saying the change will make access 'virtually impossible' and harm local commerce.
SBCAG staff briefed the board on the start of construction for the Santa Barbara North segment of Highway 101 and described staging, local parallel projects and outreach as crews prepare to shift traffic and build new bridges.
Project delivery director Fred Luna told the board that seven of the 11 corridor miles are complete and that the remaining Santa Barbara North segment will enter construction with a major traffic switch expected in May. "We will maintain two lanes of traffic, but several ramps must close to allow bridge construction," Luna said, describing work that will continue through 2028 as ramps are rebuilt and new roundabouts and bridges are completed.
A focal point of the discussion was the planned permanent closure of the Los Patos (recorded in the transcript sometimes spelled "Los Pados/Los Potos") off‑ramp. A business owner who spoke during public comment said the closure would make access "virtually impossible" for customers and warned it would "devastate" businesses that rely on convenient access. The commenter asked the board to keep the ramp open longer or indefinitely to preserve traffic flow into Montecito's commercial areas.
Staff answered that the ramp is a nonstandard feature that falls below current engineering standards (staff said the ramp measures roughly 12 feet where typical ramps are about 16 feet) and that there have been incidents of trucks striking railroad infrastructure adjacent to the ramp. Because the median ramps must be removed to build the required bridge work, staff said it was not possible to keep Los Patos open during construction. "Without the median ramps there, Los Patos could have remained open, but the state made a decision because it's already a nonstandard feature," Luna said, citing safety and rail‑inspection impacts.
Directors asked whether additional mitigation or signage could limit truck use of the ramp or whether the closure could be delayed to support businesses. Staff replied that the project staging does not allow for a long delay because the ramps must be cleared to permit bridge foundation work and safe construction staging. Staff also noted alternative official detour routes such as Milpas and Cabrillo and said outreach materials and a hotline (sproads.com) are available for questions.
Board members and staff discussed outreach to affected businesses; staff said they held a community meeting with roughly 20–25 attendees, distributed mailers and will issue a press release about the construction start (likely early April). The presentation was informational and required no board action.
Next steps: staff plans continued outreach, a press release announcing construction start, and implementation of detour and traffic‑management plans timed to the May traffic switch.
