Rock scaling to result in detour

LOMPOC — A rock scaling operation on State Route 1 near Lompoc will result in a detour for travelers on Thursday.

There will be a hard closure of southbound State 1/North 12th Street at the junction of State Route 246 and State Route 1 in Lompoc appropriate grasses, wildflowers and milkweed. Funding is available for state departments of transportation and Native American tribes to better conserve pollinator habitats and populations. email: kzehnder@newspress.com from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Additional funds signed by President Joe Biden for Fiscal Year 2023 are provided to the Department of the Interior to support western monarchs and other pollinators through the National Wildlife Refuge System, as well as $3 million to support scientific research.

During the last Congress, Rep. Panetta, alongside U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat (MONARCH) Act as well as the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act. Rep. Carbajal was a co-lead for both efforts. The leaders plan to reintroduce the MONARCH Act in the 118th Congress.

It is estimated that monarch butterfly populations have decreased by 95% since the 1980s. After nearing historic lows, western monarch populations rebounded from 2,000 butterflies in 2020 to more than 247,000 in 2021.

Travelers will not be able to go south on State Route 1, but can continue east on State Route 246 to reach southbound Highway 101 in Buellton.

Caltrans crews will rappel down the hillside above the roadway to dislodge debris and rock. Clean up will follow before reopening the roadway to travel.

Rock scaling is performed as a preventative maintenance measure to help ensure the safety of all travelers.

Message and directional signs will be in place to alert travelers in the area. Caltrans advises motorists to allow extra time during their commute.

Road information can be found on Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

“Our crews deserve to get home safely too,” Caltrans said in a news release. “Drive slowly and carefully in work zones.”

— Katherine Zehnder