SBCAG staff
Today, community leaders and elected officials celebrated two major projects in Montecito – the Olive Mill Roundabout and the San Ysidro Roundabout. Construction on these two roundabouts started back in early 2023 and is expected to finish up in May. (Please note that SCE will energize electrical meters at the Olive Mill Roundabout on May 7 from 9:00 pm to 3:00 am.)
The Olive Mill Roundabout improves 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. The San Ysidro Roundabout replaced the intersection at San Ysidro Road, North Jameson Lane, and the northbound Highway 101 on- and off-ramps at San Ysidro Road.
Both projects were delivered early due to regional funding programmed by Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG). The Highway 101 project team built the roundabouts. The City and County managed design and permitting.
“We have known that these intersections are key aspects of Montecito’s local through traffic and have needed to be updated for many years. The old 6-way and double intersections were difficult,” said SBCAG Chair Steve Lavagnino. “This was truly a cooperative endeavor with federal, state, and local funding coming together.”
“At the Olive Mill Roundabout, we are seeing a project that meets the requirements of three different jurisdictions – the City, County, and Caltrans. It was not easy getting here, but look at the fantastic results for our community,” said Santa Barbara Mayor and SBCAG Director Randy Rowse.
Each roundabout features improvements for motorists with a single lane traffic circle. Bicyclists can either take the lane or dismount and use the crosswalks. Pedestrians have a nicer walk with enhanced crosswalks, median islands between each direction of travel, new landscaping, new signs, and lighting.
“We have long known that this project is a priority for the County, SBCAG, and the City of Santa Barbara,” said First District County Supervisor and SBCAG Director Das Williams. “It is good to see our agencies come together to make this a priority and get these roundabouts built and functional ahead of the Highway 101 improvements. Without these roundabouts, the old intersections would have continued to get worse with backups and congestion. These roundabouts already help us while construction is going on and will continue to serve us for many, many years ahead.”
“Our Caltrans team is pleased to be delivering these projects in connection with SBCAG, the County, and the City of Santa Barbara. Both roundabouts are designed to fit with Montecito, are already improving traffic circulation for the local streets, and are designed to work with the Highway 101 on- and off-ramps that will be upgraded at both San Ysidro and Olive Mill Roads,” added California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 5 Director Scott Eades.
“These roundabouts exemplify the ongoing partnerships between SBCAG, Caltrans, the City of Santa Barbara, and the County,” said SBCAG Executive Director Marjie Kirn. “We are seeing amazing progress throughout our Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project and these roundabouts mark a significant step forward to tie local road improvements into the Highway 101 improvements.”
The Olive Mill and the San Ysidro Roundabouts are $18.3 million construction projects funded by local, state, and federal funds.
The public is encouraged to sign up for Highway 101 construction updates at www.SBROADS.com, by calling (805) 845.5112, or emailing info@SBROADS.com.
About the Olive Mill and San Ysidro Roundabouts
The Olive Mill Roundabout improves 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. The San Ysidro Roundabout improves traffic flow at the intersection at San Ysidro Road, North Jameson Lane, and the northbound Highway 101 on- and off-ramps at San Ysidro Road. Both roundabouts are single-lane roundabouts.
New features:
- The center of the roundabouts are planted with olive or sycamore trees and feature sandstone retaining walls and cobblestone truck aprons for large semi-truck turns.
- Roadway names are posted at each leg of the roundabouts.
- Lighting is improved around the roundabouts.
- New pedestrian crosswalks have center medians for easier crossing of one direction of traffic at a time.
- Bicyclists can either take the lane through the roundabouts or walk bikes using pedestrian sidewalks and crosswalks.
Construction occurred for both projects from 2023 – May 2024.
For more information, please visit our project website at www.SBROADS.com, call us at 805.845.5112, or email the project at info@sbroads.com.
