Felton Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project Continues as Community Returns to School Thursday, August 6

Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2026
District: 05 - Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact: Ashton Harris
Phone: (805) 549-3237

FELTON PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT CONTINUES
AS COMMUNITY RETURNS TO SCHOOL THURSDAY, AUGUST 6

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY —As students in the San Lorenzo Valley make their return to school on Thursday, August 6, Caltrans will continue working on the Felton Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project on Highway 9.

During the current phase of construction, a temporary concrete barrier is installed closing one of the southbound lanes on Highway 9 approaching Graham Hill/Felton Empire Road. This barrier is essential for the safety of crews working behind it for all current phases of work and is expected to remain in place through February 2027.

With the start of the school year on August 6, we want the community to make sure to allow for extra time during their commute. For the first week of school Caltrans is taking action to minimize delays as much as possible:

• Crews will be on site assessing the traffic flow and making real time adjustments to signal timing at Graham Hill/Felton Empire Road if necessary.

• The California Highway Patrol will be assisting traffic through the area.

• Additional message boards will alert travelers in advance of potential long delays and to take alternate routes.

• Authorization of permits for non-urgent work by maintenance crews and other parties will be temporarily postponed

Caltrans advises community members and visitors to the San Lorenzo Valley to avoid unnecessary travel during school start and end hours as parents and students fall into their early travel routines during the first few works of school.

Project background:

Since the 1954 opening of the San Lorenzo Valley High School, pedestrians – have had to navigate to school along the narrow shoulders of Highway 9. This project will see a sidewalk and bikeable shoulder area built on the southbound side of Highway 9 between the schools complex and Felton’s downtown. When complete, the project will provide transformative safety enhancements for pedestrians and cyclists for generations to come.

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.