Highway 101 Gaviota Rest Areas Closed Until February
If you drive on Highway 101 near the Gaviota Tunnel, you may have noticed two shut down rest stops – one on the northbound and the other on the southbound side of the highway.
With more than 1 million visitors just last year, the rest areas are closed for much needed restroom plumbing restorations, which include new piping, low-flow toilets and urinals, according to a spokesperson for Caltrans.
Engineers working on the project told Noozhawk that they’re hoping the restrooms will be opened by February 2015.
Other items will also be installed such as newly required underground water storage tanks for fire suppression at both restroom locations.
The rest areas and Gaviota State Park both rely on water from the nearby Las Cruces Water Treatment Plant, and water conservation will play an important role in future improvements, according to Caltrans.
For example, landscaping at the stops will be changed to replace lawn areas with mulch, and a smart irrigation system will go in for watering shrubs and shade trees.
Sources
California Department of Transportation