California Allocates $40M for Design of Mile-Long Highway 101 Tunnel

Significant funding milestones have been achieved for major highway infrastructure projects in California. The California Transportation Commission approved $137 million to fully fund the final phase of the Santa Barbara Highway 101 widening project, which will expand the highway from four to six lanes, including high occupancy vehicle lanes, improving traffic flow for the region and key local institutions like Vandenberg Space Force Base and UCSB. In Northern California, a $40 million allocation has been secured to begin designing a 6,000-foot tunnel bypassing the unstable Last Chance Grade section of Highway 101 near Crescent City, a project supported by local and state officials as a long-term solution to frequent landslides and economic disruption. This tunnel will be the longest in California and follows a prior $50 million for environmental review, with construction potentially starting by 2030 and completion around 2038. These projects underscore the state's commitment to enhancing transportation safety, reliability, and regional resilience across diverse areas from the Central Coast to the North Coast. Meanwhile, in Ireland, funding for a €15 million railway bridge related to the Port Access Northern Cross Route remains pending government approval, with some preliminary funds allocated for the scheme.