Highway 1 sees pre-pandemic level traffic but help is on the way Share Updated: 7:15 PM PDT May 14, 2021 Share Updated: 7:15 PM PDT May 14, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript AT FIVE-AM ON KSBW ACTION NEWS 8 SUNRISE. ## AS COVID RESTRICTIONS EASE U... AFTRFIC ON T HE ROADS IS GETTING BACK TO NORMAL WITH INCREASED VEHICLES.... ESPECIALLY ON HIGHWAY E ONIN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. BACK IN 20- 16....VOTERS PASSED MEASURE D..... WHICH IMPOSED A HALF CENT SALES TAX TO EXPAND HIGHWAY ONE... TA O THIRD LANE. NOW IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY FINALLY HAPPEN. ACTION NEWS EIGHT REPORTER PHIL GOMEZ HAS MORE ON HOW THOSE PLANS ARE MOVING ALONG. "It feels like the congestion is back. People aren't paying attention" WITH COVID RESTRICTIONS EASING, PEOPLE ARE DING IN OUT AND TRAVELING AND HIGHWAY ONE IS NOW JUST AS CONGESTED AS IT WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. ANIT'SD EVEN MORE FRUSTRATING IF YOU' RE BEHIND THE WHEEL OF AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE. "To maneuver to an emergeny, something we need to get to quickly makes it a little tough" IN 2016, VOTERS PASS ED MEASURE D TO ADD MORE LANES TO HIGHWAY ONE, HOPING TO END THE MID- COUNTY BOTTLE NECK THAT HAS DRIVERS HITTING THEIR BRAKES. THE FINISHED PROJECT WOULD LOOK SIMILAR TO THE WORK ALREADY COMPLETED ALONG THPOE RTION OF HIGHWAY ONE MATORRISSEY. "These are auxilary lanes we're adding an additional lane between the overpasses from Soquelo t 41st; from 41st downo t state park and then from state park down to Freedom." THE RSFIT OF THE THREE PHASE PROJECT WILL START AT THE SOQUEL ON-RAMPS THE PROJECT WILL ALLOW BUSES TO DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER AS WELL AS GRANT SAF ER PASSAGE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS, THE 41ST AVENUE OVERPASS WILLE B EXPANDED AND A BRIDGE WILL BE CONSTRUCTED OVER THE HIGHWAY AT CHANTACLEER "We're combing thes projects with bicycle and pedestrian and also the bus on should components trying to convince people to use alternate modes of transportation" THIS WEEK THE STATE APPROVED THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR PHASE TWO OF THE PROJECT,ET BWEEN BAY A ND PORTER AND STATE PARK. THIRD PHASE, FROM STE AT PARK TO FREEDOM BOULEVARD, IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT NOW. "That's wonderful! that makes me feel really good It definitely has to be addressed' "And with any constructio project, drivers should be patient because traffic is going to get worst befor ite