Caltrans workers finally got the better of the debris choking Highway 101 after two weeks of struggle, opening the freeway to traffic as of Sunday at noon. The effort involved 350 workers — state and private contractors — working around the clock with countless trucks, big rigs, and excavators to haul off 105,000 cubic yards of muck, all at a cost of $12 million.
About 95,000 motorists use this stretch of road a day, and for 15,000 Ventura County residents, it’s how they get to their jobs in Santa Barbara. For employers large and small, it’s been a significant hardship. UCSB was forced to make do without about 250 workers while Cottage Hospital put up as many as 200 in area hotels.
In the meantime, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signified the seriousness with which it’s treating the disaster by dispatching its top commander, Lt. General Todd Semonite, to Santa Barbara last week for a quick tour and press conference. Overflowing with executive energy, Semonite and the Corps are focused on clearing out the 11 debris basins built in the 1960s to protect the South Coast from flood-born mayhem. Should another storm hit, Santa Barbara’s backcountry — scalped and scoured by the Thomas Fire — poses a serious risk to downstream residents.