NORTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY – Caltrans will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Oct. 19 for the long-awaited and eagerly anticipated interchange at Highway 101 and the new Union Valley Parkway just south of Santa Maria.
It will mark the start of work on the $19.7 million Union Valley Parkway project that has been on the planning drawing board for many years.
The project is designed to improve east-west traffic circulation from Highway 101 to Orcutt and Santa Maria as well as the Santa Maria Airport.
Traffic congestion has grown considerably on the existing east to west road links from Highway 101 which are Clark Avenue, Lakeview Road via Santa Maria Way and Betteravia Road.
In addition to the Highway 101 interchange, other portions of the Union Valley Parkway also need to be completed to provide a four-lane road link between the 101 and Blosser Road, just south of the Santa Maria Airport.
Caltrans anticipates full completion of the UVP project in 2013.
