Long-Term Closure of Southbound Highway 1 Off-Ramp at Bay Ave. Begins August 2

Date: Monday, July 20, 2026
District: 05 - Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact: Ashton Harris
Phone: (805) 549-3237

LONG-TERM CLOSURE OF SOUTHBOUND HIGHWAY 1
OFF-RAMP AT BAY AVE. BEGINS AUGUST 2

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — A project to construct north and southbound auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder improvements on Highway 1 between the Bay Avenue/Porter Street and State Park Drive interchanges continues August 2.

Beginning overnight, August 2 at 10:00 pm, crews will close the southbound Highway 1 off-ramp at Bay Ave. The southbound Bay Ave. off-ramp is scheduled to be closed for approximately four months as crews reconstruct the ramp as part of the bus-on-shoulder facility.

Travelers will follow a detour on southbound Highway 1 to continue southbound exit at the southbound Park Avenue off-ramp. They will then turn right onto Park Avenue, continue on Soquel Drive, and follow the detour signs back to the Porter Street/Bay Avenue area.

Message and directional signs will alert travelers in advance of the areas under traffic control. Please allow for extra time for your travels through the area.

Project Background:
The contractor for this $78 million project is Granite Construction of Watsonville, CA and the project is expected to be completed by Fall of 2026. Updated project information for the improvements on Highway 1 between the Bay Ave./Porter St. and State Park Drive interchanges can be found on the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s website at: https://sccrtc.org/projects/streets-highways/hwy1/bayporter-statepark/

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans Central Coast District 5 Social Media Platforms: X at @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

For information about transportation projects transforming communities throughout the state, visit: Build.ca.gov.