More Renderings of How the Highway 101 Changes Will Look

The Highway 101 widening project emailed out a video for the imminent Summerland phase that struck me as less useful than the recent mailing and more about showcasing its constituency of elected officials. That said, it did have a bunch of renderings that weren’t in the mailing.

Above and below are three of the Evans undercrossing. Is there really a need to label it “Summerland”? Does anyone in that vicinity not know where they are? And the sidewalk design—a ripoff of an homage to Roberto Burle Marx’s iconic Copacabana ones—had better be done well, or it’s going to seem bush league. (In Rio de Janeiro, the wavy patterns work because they’re made of cobblestones.)

And here are righthand on- and off-ramps at Sheffield Drive.

And this is a sound wall with a planter on the freeway side. It’s better than just a wall, for sure, but I’ve always been fond of plants in the median—especially the marvelous old specimen trees that singlehandedly give the Montecito section of the 101 its character.

A subsequent press release included these details: “Construction will begin on the night of November 1. Please expect to see initial safety fencing, vegetation removal, tree trimming, safety barriers to shift lanes, and work to build up outside shoulders. Then lanes will be shifted, and construction will focus on the median and fast lanes of US 101. The public is encouraged to find more information and sign up for biweekly construction updates on the project’s website, or by calling 805-845-5112, or emailing [email protected].” The construction updates are essential if you live in the immediate vicinity.

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