# Santa Cruz (CA) area: Status of State Route 9? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 30, 2021, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-cruz-ca-area-status-of-state-route-9/949751 "2021-08-30T00:59:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-cruz-ca-area-status-of-state-route-9/949751/1 "2021-08-30T00:59:47Z")
Question for Dopers in Santa Cruz area: What is the current status of State Route 9 ? Last I recall being in that area was some years ago, and the road was closed somewhere between Felton and Santa Cruz. It seemed to be closed for quite a long time (multiple years), IIRC. Today I found a [CalTrans document on-line](https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5/district-5-current-projects/05-1k120) saying that there were washouts in 2017 that closed the road, and giving a time-line estimating that the road will be re-built and open again by 2025. Is the road closed now? Separately, I found [another CalTrans doc](https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-projects/d4-santa-clara-sr9-saratoga-creek-bridge) indicating that they plan to re-build the Saratoga Creek Bridge (on the Saratoga side of SR 35). It doesn’t give a time-line, but indicates that some early planning began in 2016 and the EIR was done in January 2020. Anybody know of any current road closures or construction in that area? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-cruz-ca-area-status-of-state-route-9/949751/2 "2021-08-30T01:53:00Z")
No closures at the moment according to the Caltrans website. I drove from Felton to Saratoga 3 weeks ago and there were a couple of short one-lane/flagman stretches for construction and tree work but other than that it was wide open. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-cruz-ca-area-status-of-state-route-9/949751/3 "2021-08-30T02:10:45Z")
Thanks for the pirep, @blondbear. I’m still unsure of the segment from Felton to Santa Cruz – I saw that Caltrans page saying no closures, but at the same time, I see that page (that I linked above) that seemed to imply the road is closed due to washouts in 2017, and won’t be open again until 2025? Now I Я confused. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-cruz-ca-area-status-of-state-route-9/949751/4 "2021-08-30T02:34:04Z")
I believe that they are using the 1 lane/flagged construction zones, as noted above. I would take that to mean the highway won’t be fully repaired until 2025. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-cruz-ca-area-status-of-state-route-9/949751/5 "2021-08-31T20:59:45Z")
Road condition update: After a hike at Fall Creek in Felton today I drove down 9 to Santa Cruz. Both lanes were open all the way, However, there was quite a bit of road work going on between the entrance to Henry Cowell and the intersection with Hwy 1–road shoulder and culvert repair, tree trimming, etc. Going forward I imagine that repair work might close one or both lanes at times. If 9 is closed you could always use Graham Hill Road as an alternate route. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-cruz-ca-area-status-of-state-route-9/949751/6 "2021-08-31T22:25:02Z")
Thanks for the update, @blondebear . I’m beginning to get a bug up my ass to do a road trip somewhere in that quadrant of the galaxy sometime in the near future, so that’s why I’m interested in it.