UPDATE (5:35 p.m.) - All lanes of the highway are now open.
Authorities exploded the suspicious package at about 3:30 p.m.
There is no word at this time if anything was found inside the package.
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UPDATE (5:29 p.m.) - The right lane of southbound Highway 101 is now open to traffic. Caltrans says the left lane will remain closed for the next 45 minutes.
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UPDATE (4:56 p.m.) - The southbound lanes of Highway 101 at Union Valley Parkway are expected to reopen in approximately 15 minutes.
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UPDATE: (2:53 p.m.) - CHP says the highway closure will begin at about 3 p.m.
The freeway could remain closed until 4 p.m.
Hwy 135 remains open as a detour for drivers in the area.
Traffic on Highway 101 will be diverted off at Los Alamos, and southbound lanes are being directed off at Union Valley Parkway.
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UPDATE (1:14 p.m.) - CHP said the full closure of Hwy 101 Friday afternoon is due to a possible bomb spotted near Cat Canyon in north Santa Barbara County.
Santa Maria CHP officials said an object that could be a homemade bomb was found at about 10:07 a.m. by a Caltrans crew member.
CHP set up a command post after the object was called in.
Officials say the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office is sending its specialized bomb equipment to handle the object.
The freeway closure will last roughly one hour in both directions until the sheriff's office clears the threat to ensure safety in the area.
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(12:29 p.m.) - The lanes of Hwy 101 in north Santa Barbara County are set to temporarily close Friday afternoon, Caltrans announced in a tweet.
The closure is set to begin at 1 p.m. near Los Alamos, and officials say the highway will reopen between 30 minutes and one hour later.
CHP reports that the northbound lanes of Hwy 101 are closing at Exit 154, the highway 135 off ramp. The agency reports that the southbound closure begins at Union Valley Pkwy.
Drivers can detour around the closure by using Hwy 135.
UPDATE: Sig Alert Today at 1 PM. Both north and southbound lanes of #US101 at Cat Canyon Rd. north of Los Alamos will be closed today at 1 pm. NB lanes will be diverted at Los Alamos on to Hwy. 135. SB lanes will exit at Union Valley Pkwy. in Santa Maria and on to Hwy. 135.
— Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) May 27, 2022
Caltrans officials told KSBY that CHP requested the closure. We have reached out to CHP for more information and are waiting to hear back.
