The El Colegio Road Improvement Project entered its second and final phase over spring break and will continue to affect traffic in Isla Vista over the next several months.

The construction is a joint venture between the university and Santa Barbara County to expand El Colegio between Stadium Road and Camino del Sur from a two-lane to a four-lane road with bike lanes and landscaped medians. Three new bus stops and a new sidewalk are also included in the improvement plans.

The construction will continue to reroute motorists leaving Isla Vista, although inbound traffic will not be seriously affected.

The newly constructed portion of El Colegio was opened to vehicles traveling westbound last Thursday. The southbound portion of Stadium Road was also reopened to inbound traffic heading towards El Colegio via Mesa Road.

However, work remains for the previously existing lanes and will continue to affect motorists attempting to make left turns out of Isla Vista onto El Colegio. Construction on this portion of the road could continue for three months, potentially restricting access to El Colegio from Camino Pescadero, Embarcadero del Mar and Embarcadero del Norte.

Additionally, right turns on red are now prohibited from Stadium Road onto El Colegio in an attempt to eliminate conflicts between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists at the intersection.

Construction on El Colegio first began last summer, and the entire project is not scheduled to be completed until June.

The construction on Pardall Road is also winding down, and the easternmost portion of the road was reopened to residents over break. However, the intersection at Embarcadero del Mar is still fenced off and undergoing construction. The streetscape renovation is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.