Olive Mill Roundabout Kicks Off

By Kelly Mahan Herrick | November 15, 2022

The Olive Mill Roundabout project was kicked off last week by a number of stakeholders and government officials

On Friday, November 4, community leaders and elected officials celebrated the kick-off for the Olive Mill Roundabout project. Construction will begin late November and go through summer 2023.

The roundabout will improve traffic flow at the intersection at Olive Mill Road, Coast Village Road, North Jameson Lane, the northbound Highway 101 off-ramp at Olive Mill Road, and the southbound Highway 101 on-ramp at Olive Mill Road. “We know that this intersection has needed to be updated for many years. The various streets and freeway ramps that intersect it have made it a challenge that I’ve heard about from Central Coast residents all the way back to when I was a County Supervisor for this area,” said Congressman
Salud Carbajal.

A rendering of the Olive Mill Roundabout

The roundabout features improvements for motorists with a single-lane traffic circle designed to be utilized at 20 mph. Bicyclists will be able to either take the lane or dismount and use the crosswalks on the mountain side. Pedestrians will have enhanced crosswalks, median islands between each direction of travel, new landscaping, and new signs and lighting. “Our City staff have been working for years to get a roundabout design that fits within three different jurisdictions – the City, County, and Caltrans. It is no small feat and will serve our community for many decades to come,” said Santa Barbara Mayor and SBCAG Director Randy Rowse.

Construction on the Olive Mill Roundabout will begin late November. Crews will close the northbound off-ramp at Olive Mill Road and the southbound on-ramp at Olive Mill Road to allow space for the contractor to work and to reduce the amount of traffic moving through the construction area. Expect to see initial safety fencing and grading on the southeast corner near the closed ramps. Throughout construction drivers will have access through the intersection. There will be flaggers and night work as needed, and delays are anticipated between five to 10 minutes throughout construction.

The roundabout is being built in coordination with the Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project undertaken by Caltrans and SBCAG in cooperation with local agencies to add a new HOV lane in each direction between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara (10.9 miles). The project will improve bridges, interchanges, and on- and off-ramps. The Carpinteria segment has been built, and the Padaro and Summerland segments are under construction. The Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project is funded from SB1, state and federal dollars, and Measure A. Funding applications are being submitted to complete the remaining corridor segments by 2028.

The public is encouraged to find more information and sign up for biweekly construction updates on the project’s website at SBROADS.com, or by calling (805) 845-5112, or emailing info@SBROADS.com.

The Olive Mill Roundabout is a $9 million project funded by regional funding programmed by SBCAG.