Over the years, many local residents have asked that freeway improvements be constructed out of concrete due to the longer lifespan and reduced maintenance. The Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project is installing Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) on the freeway lanes. This surface is a quieter roadway surface compared to other pavements. It is stronger and lasts longer than other surfaces thereby reducing the amount of tire noise generated from potholes, cracks, and repairs in other surfaces.
NEW CONCRETE ROADWAY
Concrete
Rebar
Asphalt Pavement
Recycled Concrete Aggregate
Geosynthetic Fabric
REDUCING TRUCK TRIPS, WATER, & MONEY
The project is reducing construction truck trips by mixing concrete on-site at the North Padaro Interchange. This reduces miles trucks will drive carrying supplies and mixed concrete an average of 6 to 16 miles per trip between Carpinteria and Summerland vs. an off-site supplier. This multiplies out to an average of 463,771 miles saved with another 137,684 miles anticipated to be saved for the Montecito and Santa Barbara segments. That means reduced fuel use, improved air quality, and reduced impacts to neighborhoods outside of the improvement area.
400,000 gallons of water is also saved since concrete mixed on site uses less than concrete trucked in.
Overall, this will save taxpayers $13 million and reduce environmental impacts.
RECYCLING & REUSING CONCRETE
The existing concrete gets recycled and then reused as roadway base.