Soquel-San Jose Road to reopen

Monday, June 26, the County of Santa Cruz will reopen Soquel-San Jose Road to through traffic.

“I’m not sure how they’re gonna keep it from slipping out again, but they did it much quicker than we thought,” said Chick Goodman of Soquel.

The road had been closed off since February 13th after winter storms slightly slumped it 8 feet below ground, completely washing out the road. The closure has created a lot of inconvenience for commuters and residents.

“If I go Hwy 17, I have to go all the way back down,” said Sue Williams of Soquel. “I mean it’s double the distance.”

Over the past few months, Santa Cruz County Public Works has worked to install drainage and has been monitoring it closely.

Crews are certain the road will be safe and passable once it re-opens on Monday at 10 a.m. But it’s not a long term fix and drivers are still encouraged to drive slow and plan for a longer commute on the road than they’re accustomed.

“I have not been able to get through, so now I’m stoked that it’s going to be opening up Monday and get the traffic back up and going,” said Aaron Bistrin of Santa Cruz.

Some residents said they’re having mixed emotions about the road opening up because they like how quiet it’s been without all the traffic.

“It kind of reminds me of what it was like in 1970, 1980,” said Williams.

“Initially I was like oh darn that’s my route to the airport,” said Goodman. “Now it’s like its’ such a nice, quiet, little, country, road. I’m not sure I ‘m gonna want all the traffic back.”

There’s another washout nearby, which means traffic on the road is still down to one lane.

“We know this road is a critical piece of our local transportation infrastructure,” Public Works Director John Presleigh said. “I’d like to thank my staff for the urgency and innovation they brought to this project on behalf of local residents.”

“Soquel-San Jose was one of the storm-damaged roads identified as a priority repair,” Board Chair John Leopold said. “That we were able to get it opened as soon as we did is a testament to the hard work and experience of our staff. I’d particularly like to thank neighbors impacted by this closure for their patience.”