Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project on East Cabrillo Boulevard & the Replacement of the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Project

The Project is located along East Cabrillo Boulevard between Los Patos Way and the U.S. Highway 101 interchange. 

• Creates a safe corridor along East Cabrillo Boulevard for pedestrian and bicyclists.
• Improves access and connectivity to and from the Beachway, Andree Clark Bird Refuge, Chase Palm Park, Santa Barbara Zoo, beaches, the Waterfront and Harbor, and to commercial areas along Los Patos Way and Coast Village Road.
• Reduces traffic congestion and improves mobility with a dedicated right turn lane on eastbound Cabrillo Boulevard for the proposed southbound on-ramp onto Highway 101 (being constructed with the Highway 101 HOV and Widening Project) and with a roundabout at the intersection of East Cabrillo Boulevard and Los Patos Way.

Project Overview

This Project supports the Highway 101 HOV and Widening Project (HOV Project) between Santa Barbara and Carpinteria that is being constructed by Caltrans. As part of the approved Environmental Impact Report for the HOV Project, the City is required to improve multimodal access on local roads that connect to the coast and are affected by highway construction. One of the key areas identified for improvement is the connection between Hot Springs Road and Cabrillo Boulevard.

Today, the Cabrillo/Hot Springs area is difficult to navigate for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers due to narrow bridge spans, missing sidewalks and bike facilities, and the lack of a southbound freeway on-ramp. While the HOV Project adds new sidewalks, multiuse paths, and bike facilities under the reconstructed interchange, additional improvements are needed between the freeway underpass and the Los Patos/Cabrillo intersection. Because traffic congestion is expected to increase with the new HOV lane, upgrades at Los Patos/Cabrillo are required before the HOV Project is completed.

In 2018, the Planning Commission approved the East Cabrillo Boulevard Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements and the replacement of the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) Bridge. The Project area extends from the Highway 101/Cabrillo Interchange to the Cabrillo/Los Patos intersection. Since approval, the work has been divided into three phases, with the third phase added at UPRR’s request. The City and SBCAG are partners through an active Memorandum of Understanding.

Project Phasing

Phase 1 – Cabrillo/Los Patos Roundabout: Completed (May 2025)

This phase fulfilled a required mitigation measure of the HOV Project by improving multimodal circulation and reducing congestion by constructing the Cabrillo/Los Patos Roundabout and pedestrian/bicycle improvements.

Phase 2 – Cabrillo-UPRR Bridge Replacement: Funded and Advancing
Replacement and widening of the Cabrillo Boulevard UPRR bridge to allow for expanded roadway width, multimodal facilities, and a dedicated southbound turn lane. Without this phase, a major gap would remain in the bike and pedestrian network. SBCAG/ Caltrans secured construction funding in 2025, and construction is anticipated to begin in 2027.

Phase 3 – Los Patos-UPRR Bridge Removal: In Final Design

Once Caltrans closes the Highway 101 southbound offramp at Los Patos as part of the HOV Project, UPRR requires the existing Los Patos-UPRR bridge to be removed to avoid it becoming an attractive nuisance. Completion of this phase is a condition of Phase 2 and will be constructed in conjunction with the Phase 2 project.
 

Total Project cost for all phases, including design, environmental, right of way, and construction phases is approximately $70 million.

The City of Santa Barbara has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) to manage the Project design and construction. The design was funded from the Highway Safety Improvement Program, State Transportation Improvement Program, Regional Surface Transportation Program, Measure A, Senate Bill 1, Local Partnership Program Formula, Carbon Reduction Funds, and Regional Surface Transportation Program. Construction of the roundabout (Phase 1) was funded with Highway 101 funds from the Regional Surface Transportation Program. Construction of the Cabrillo-UPRR Bridge (phase 2) is through Senate Bill 1 and Los Patos-UPRR Bridge removal (Phase 3) is through Highway 101 from the Regional Surface Transportation Program.

Phases 1 and 2 Plan Layout

Rendering of Proposed Cabrillo/ UPRR Bridge

Phase 3 Los Patos UPRR Bridge Removal and Multimodal Connections Rendering