Here’s What the Olive Mill Roundabout Might Look Like

Judging from the reports in the Montecito Journal and Noozhawk, there doesn’t appear to have been much in the way of new information at the recent public hearing about the traffic circle planned for the intersection of Olive Mill Road, Coast Village Road, N. Jameson Road, and the 101.

As anyone around here knows, that intersection is chaotic at best. Most everyone at the hearing acknowledged that it has to be solved one way or another; a resident directly adjacent to the roundabout is understandably upset about how it’ll encroach on his property.

“What makes this roundabout challenging and unique is the fact that the circle will have six legs and 10 lanes of traffic entering or exiting the single-lane traffic circle within a constrained right of way,” notes the Montecito Journal. The renderings below give a pretty clear idea of what to expect, although the design is far from set and the construction and completion are a long way off. The city’s website about the project is here.

Two other roundabouts might follow: One at San Ysidro Road, Jameson Road, and the 101, and another at E. Cabrillo Boulevard and Los Patos Way.

The city’s reasoning behind the Cabrillo roundabout:

• Creates a safe corridor along East Cabrillo Boulevard for pedestrian and bicyclists.

• Improves access and connectivity to and from the Beachway, Andree Clark Bird Refuge, Chase Palm Park, Santa Barbara Zoo, beaches, and the Waterfront and Harbor, and to commercial areas along Los Patos Way and Coast Village Road.

• Reduces traffic congestion and improves mobility by constructing a roundabout at the intersection of East Cabrillo Boulevard and Los Patos Way.

• Replaces the narrow existing UPRR Bridge with a new bridge spanning over a widened roadway with standard lane widths, shoulders, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The proposed bridge width also accommodates a dedicated right turn lane on eastbound East Cabrillo Boulevard for the southbound onramp proposed with the South Coast 101 HOV Lanes project, which would improve the operations of the reconfigured interchange.