The Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Park is set to reopen Friday after being closed for more than a year due to winter storms.
Santa Barbara County Public Works officials said the road between the sand plant near the park entrance and the beach completely washed out during the heavy January storms in 2023.
The main entrance was further damaged after the subsequent storms shifted the natural path of the Santa Maria River to the south.
According to the press release, the project to re-establish the roadway to the park had a "higher degree of difficulty" because the road was located in an extremely sensitive wildlife habitat area and a full damage assessment was needed.
With the partnership of federal, state, and local agencies, access to the park has been restored.
Public works officials are inviting community members to celebrate the completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday at 11 a.m.
The ceremony is set to take place at the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes kiosk located at the 6000 block of West main Street.
