A public ribbon cutting scheduled for later this month will celebrate the opening of the new Capitola Avenue Overcrossing, which opened to traffic on Jan. 30 to provide a new connection across Highway 1.
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will host the ceremony Feb. 26 from 4 to 5 p.m. at 911 Capitola Road, to celebrate the completion of the overcrossing and the first finished component of the Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes and Bus-on-Shoulder Project between Bay Avenue/Porter Street and State Park Drive.
The new bridge includes significantly enhanced bicycle and pedestrian lanes while maintaining vehicle access across the highway. Transportation officials say the design improves safety and accessibility for people walking and biking and strengthens connections between Soquel Drive north of Highway 1 and the future Coastal Rail Trail to the south.
“The opening of the Capitola Avenue Overcrossing is an exciting milestone for our community and a tangible example of how we are investing in a safer, more connected, and more multimodal transportation network,” RTC Chair Eduardo Montesino said in a statement.
The overcrossing improves access between neighborhoods, schools, parks, beaches, transit services and nearby commercial centers in Capitola and surrounding communities. Santa Cruz County Supervisor and RTC Commissioner Kim De Serpa said the project supports residents of all ages and abilities, whether they are walking, biking, driving or using public transit.
The Capitola Avenue Overcrossing is part of a larger Highway 1 corridor improvement project that includes construction of northbound and southbound auxiliary lanes, bus-on-shoulder improvements and a future bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing at Mar Vista Avenue. The corridor serves some of the heaviest traffic volumes in Santa Cruz County, connecting Capitola, Soquel, Aptos and Cabrillo College.
Transportation officials say the auxiliary lanes are intended to improve traffic flow, extend merging and weaving distances and reduce cut-through traffic on neighborhood streets.
Construction on the overall Highway 1 project is ongoing and is expected to be completed in late 2026.
The RTC is delivering the project in partnership with Caltrans, Santa Cruz County, the city of Capitola and the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, with funding from Measure D and state transportation funds provided through Senate Bill 1.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is open to the public, and additional details are expected to be posted on the RTC website.
TOP PHOTO: Traffic passes north under the new Capitola Road overpass on Monday.