A portion of a popular highway in Santa Barbara County has completely shut down due to large cracks that were found along the roadway.
Caltrans was in the process of repairing Highway 154 after it became damaged from winter storms when workers discovered cracks in the pavement.
Genelle Padilla is a spokesperson with the agency. She said the cracks are about a foot deep and have gotten larger since its initial discovery.
“We've put the full closure in place so we can monitor the movement, what happened and then come up with a repair strategy,” Padilla said.
She said that the highway will be closed from San Antonio Creek Road to Painted Cave Road, and only residents can drive through the closure.
“We understand it's people have to go to work and they have appointments and they have lives,” Padilla said. “So we are working with that in mind.”
Travelers are being asked to avoid the portion of the highway and take an alternative route.
Padilla said that a second southbound lane will be opened on Highway 101 near Buellton to relieve any traffic.
There is no expected reopening date, but repair crews are working to fix the cracks.
