The section of Union Valley Parkway from Bradley Road to Hummel Drive has reopened to traffic.
A light was installed at the Bradley intersection, the roadway was repaved and stripped before it was opened last week. Landscaping along the side of the road is the last step before the venture is completed.
The newly open section of Union Valley Parkway is the first part of a development that aims to connect the Foxenwood neighborhood directly to the 101 Freeway. A second section of the parkway under construction by the City of Santa Maria will connect Blosser Road to a new intersection on Orcutt Expressway (Highway 135).
That project is being delayed because of a nationwide shortage of road-striping materials. According to Dave Whitehead, Santa Maria’s public works director, the specific material required by Caltrans is not available and it is unknown when it will be restocked. The city must now wait for more material to become available or get permission from Caltrans to use a different paint. A joint project between Santa Maria and the county will eventually connect the two road sections.
The design of the third phase is nearing completion, but the county is still negotiating the right-of-way. The fourth and final piece of the Union Valley Parkway will fall to Caltrans, which has plans to connect the road to the 101 freeway via an overpass between Clark Avenue and Santa Maria Way.