It’s a new year, which means new — and ongoing — projects will bring some road delays throughout 2025 in Santa Cruz County. Here are the major projects slated to begin, and in some cases, wrap up throughout the year.
Carmageddon
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Carmageddon: Bay Street improvements starting up in 2025 — and continuing for several more years
The start to a safer Bay Street corridor is getting off the ground on Santa Cruz’s Westside in 2025, with two sections beginning the work to introduce new bike lanes and transit infrastructure to the major corridor. There will be two open houses in January, where curious residents can learn more about the multiyear effort.
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Carmageddon: After multiple delays, one rail trail segment set for summer completion, two others push forward
A stretch of the Coastal Rail Trail on Santa Cruz’s Westside nears completion after weather delays. Santa Cruz Metro is suspending some routes and continuing with its existing schedule because of problems with its aging bus fleet. Meanwhile, Highway 1’s Bay Avenue on-ramp remains closed until Sunday, with additional closures north of Santa Cruz, and Highway 9’s disruptive paving work has wrapped up.
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Carmageddon: Mount Hermon Road reopens after tornado, Green Valley Road makeover aims for spring completion
The project on Green Valley Road in Watsonville is causing some noticeable traffic delays, specifically during the morning and afternoon rush hours. However, that will be a thing of the past come springtime, when the road project will be completed. Meanwhile, crews in Scotts Valley worked through Saturday night to help get main artery Mount Hermon Road back open after a tornado tore through the area.
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Carmageddon: Soquel Drive overhaul on track to wrap up in spring 2025 — earlier than initial estimates
One of the largest multimodal improvement projects in Santa Cruz County is headed to a spring completion, several months earlier than originally planned. Crews will finish the final steps improvements to Soquel Drive in the spring, to avoid weather impacts as much as possible.
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Carmageddon: Some major West Cliff Drive projects to stretch into early 2025
West Cliff Drive repairs continue moving forward as winter draws closer, with several major components expected to wrap up by mid-December. While a few projects will not be finished until early to mid-2025, one-way traffic could make a return along the entirety of Santa Cruz’s coastal road by early spring, and two-way traffic might be only a few months behind.
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Carmageddon: With winter approaching, who pays for road repairs in Santa Cruz County?
With road repairs still in the pipeline all over Santa Cruz County, officials are constantly in talks with federal agencies in charge of funding road repair. As it turns out, the two main agencies that public works officials negotiate with differ quite a bit, and often dictate how quickly a road gets fixed.
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Carmageddon: SCPD eyes traffic, bike, pedestrian safety programs with new grant funding
Two grants the Santa Cruz Police Department has received since the beginning of November will be brought to the Santa Cruz City Council in December for direction and clarity around next steps. Both are going to be put toward various programs and activities to promote traffic, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
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Carmageddon: Public input sought on South County train station project
More public input opportunities are on their way for the future of passenger rail in Santa Cruz County and beyond, with sessions planned for Nov. 20 on a potential station set to serve Watsonville and Pajaro.
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Carmageddon: Make your case for how to spend Measure D funds next year
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is seeking input on how to spend Measure D funds in the upcoming year. Comments are due by 9 a.m. Wednesday, and the public is invited to share thoughts with the commission’s board at its Thursday meeting at the county board of supervisors chamber.