The new northbound Highway 101 carpool lane between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara opened on Friday.
"It’s going to help everyone get to work faster," said Das Williams, Santa Barbara County District 1 Supervisor.
Resident Joan Price says she's excited the project is moving along.
"Yay! Instead of having three lanes that one of them is closed. It's very good, and they are working on a bike path here so that's also very good," Price said.
Drivers now have access to seven miles of open carpool lane northbound from Santa Monica Road in Carpinteria to Sheffield Drive in Montecito. The southbound carpool lane remains closed, but not for long.
"Sometime in January the southbound direction will also be open," said Fred Luna, SBCAG Director of Project Delivery and Construction.
Luna says the opening is a big step toward completion of the project but there is still more work ahead.
"We have one remaining segment we also need to seek funding for. We should hear about that next summer, and if we're successful, we'll be able to tell people that we'll have a full completion picture for when we plan on being complete with the entire corridor likely around the end of 2028," Luna said.
Opening the carpool lanes is one part of overall improvements in the Padaro segment, including new bridges, updated on- and off-ramps and more.
"Our plan for the 101 isn’t just about cars, it’s about all modes of transportation," Williams said.
A groundbreaking was also held Friday for the Santa Claus Lane Streetscape Improvements Project which will add more parking, bike paths, and safe railway crossings in the area.
"Yes, anything when it gets finished will be really nice," Price said.
