Construction crews are working along Highway 101 in Buellton as part of a major Caltrans improvement project that will stretch into next year.
The $29.08 million effort covers nearly 10 miles of Highway 101 and includes new pavement, drainage improvements, guardrails, and ramp reconstruction.
Drivers are already feeling the impact. Buellton resident Darlene Velasco said the congestion has forced her to rethink her daily routine.
"It has been a lot of backed-up traffic… 101… Solvang… there's a lot of areas where there's construction going on all at once," Velasco said.
"If you want to go to the grocery store during business hours, like busy hours, just forget it. It's better just to wait for the traffic to die down than come to the store unless you can come to the store earlier in the day," Velasco said.
Not all travelers have experienced significant delays. Luis Nunez, visiting from Long Beach, said his trip through the area went smoothly.
"We didn't get much traffic at all due to the fact that we left super early from L.A.," Nunez said.
Caltrans District 5's Ashton Harris described the current lane restrictions in the construction zone.
"When travelers do go to this area, what they're going to find is that US 101 is reduced to one lane in each direction from the Nojoqui Creek Bridge to just north of Avenue of Flags," Harris said.
The current phase also includes closures of the northbound and southbound Santa Rosa Road ramps, with drivers being detoured to Highway 246.
Velasco said she understands the purpose of the work, even as she worries about the disruption.
"I understand they're trying to improve 100%," Velasco said. "You don't know if somebody has an emergency or something going on."
Caltrans says the project is timed to take advantage of longer summer days, allowing crews to complete as much work as possible before conditions change.
Harris said the short-term disruption will pay off for the area.
"It will ultimately help them have reliable travel conditions for the years to come," Harris said.
All businesses in the area will remain open during construction. Caltrans encourages drivers to follow posted detours when traveling through the work zone.
