Explaining why you arrived to school late with the line “there was traffic” is a cliché excuse, there is now more than ever validity behind those words. The local construction on freeways and roads has the end goal of combining functionality, environmental consciousness, and aesthetics, but the road to get there is long, congested with traffic, and full of dangerous distractions. “I’ve been close to getting a tardy at school because of the roadwork,” said senior Cyanne Blabey who is very afflicted by the construction. “I definitely have to budget my time in the morning because I know it’ll take an extra 15-20 minutes to get through the construction on the freeway.” In the fall of 2005, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) approved a 4-phase plan to relieve traffic by widening a 16-mile portion of the US 101 that stretches from the city of Santa Barbara to Mussel Shoals in Ventura County. Despite the fact that the Mussel Shoals to Santa Barbara construction project also includes the building of roundabouts, bridges, and bike ways, the 101 highway-widening project has had the most significant impact on the student-faculty commute to school, with numerous road closures. Math instructor Meaghen Harris, who drives through construction on her way to and from Laguna, “almost can’t remember a time before the construction” and sometimes chooses to take an alternate route in order to avoid the congestion caused by these unanticipated closures. Traffic is not the only downside of the roadwork. With loud and bright distractions and confined areas with construction, there is an increased risk for accidents, which presents challenges for the student population of new drivers. “I’ve been close to getting a tardy at school because of the roadwork.” – Cyanne Blabey. “Particularly every time they adjust where the lanes are located, there is usually about a two-week period where the number of accidents goes up, or even if there’s not an accident, everyone’s just driving slower as they get used to where the lanes are,” Chemistry instructor Katherine Pointer said. Drivers have had to adjust to the current construction and practice safe driving habits. “I definitely have to keep my eyes ahead of me and focus on what I’m doing in areas of construction because there will be an occasional break where I’ll have to stop really quickly. I have to be a defensive driver,” Cyanne said. It can often feel like the construction process is never-ending. Those living in Montecito are only beginning to feel the effects of the 101 construction–which those living in Carpinteria have been dealing with for years now– as Phase 4 is underway closing on and off ramps and splitting the two-lane freeway into diverging one-lane sections. While construction is “slow,” it is “designed to help, and the process pays dividends. I have seen measurable progress. It is slow, and it does mean I leave earlier and get home later, but I have witnessed progress in a way that those of Montecito haven’t experienced yet,” Pointer said. Though Phase 4 of the highway is 10.9 miles long and estimated to be completed in 2027. Phases 1, 2, and 3 are completed with functional bike lanes, pedestrian paths, bridges, roundabouts, and a carpool lane completed with environmental impact in mind. “I don’t love construction, but it’s gonna be there,” said Cyanne. “So, you learn to deal with it, and eventually appreciate it, because it will definitely make things a lot easier and smoother in the future.”