Gaviota Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Gaviota Tunnel is a tunnel
on U.S. Route 101 completed in 1953 north of Gaviota State Park
, 33 miles (53 km) northwest of Santa Barbara, California
. It is 420 feet (128 m) long and 17.5 feet (5.3 m) tall. Only the northbound lanes of U.S. Route 101 (El Camino Real
) pass through it, as the southbound lanes descend from Gaviota Pass through a narrow canyon to the west of the tunnel. Because it is the only major route between the Santa Barbara County South Coast and the Santa Ynez Valley
, bicycles are allowed through it. There is a rest area
on the southern end of the tunnel, the southernmost one along U.S. Route 101.
There are frequent rockslides
in the area, especially during and following rain
. Some of the hillsides and road cuts are covered in netting to prevent erosion
. There are also fences made of netting along the roadway to stop rocks that do fall.
An alternate bypass to this section of U.S. Route 101 between Santa Barbara and Los Olivos
is provided by State Route 154 capped by the Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge
near the summit of San Marcos Pass
. Highway 154 cuts directly between Santa Barbara and Los Olivos in a northwestern direction, whereas the 101 runs along the coast of the Pacific Ocean
about 25 miles (40.2 km) west before turning north passing through Buellton
to meet up with the 154 near Los Olivos.
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
on U.S. Route 101 completed in 1953 north of Gaviota State Park
Gaviota State Park
Gaviota State Park is a California State Park located in southern Santa Barbara County, California, U.S., about 33 miles west of the city of Santa Barbara. It consists of 2,790 acres extending from the Pacific coast to the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains, and is adjacent to Los Padres National...
, 33 miles (53 km) northwest of Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. It is 420 feet (128 m) long and 17.5 feet (5.3 m) tall. Only the northbound lanes of U.S. Route 101 (El Camino Real
El Camino Real (California)
El Camino Real and sometimes associated with Calle Real usually refers to the 600-mile California Mission Trail, connecting the former Alta California's 21 missions , 4 presidios, and several pueblos, stretching from Mission San Diego de Alcalá in San Diego...
) pass through it, as the southbound lanes descend from Gaviota Pass through a narrow canyon to the west of the tunnel. Because it is the only major route between the Santa Barbara County South Coast and the Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the...
, bicycles are allowed through it. There is a rest area
Rest area
A rest area, travel plaza, rest stop, or service area is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, expressway, or freeway at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads...
on the southern end of the tunnel, the southernmost one along U.S. Route 101.
There are frequent rockslides
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
in the area, especially during and following rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
. Some of the hillsides and road cuts are covered in netting to prevent erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
. There are also fences made of netting along the roadway to stop rocks that do fall.
An alternate bypass to this section of U.S. Route 101 between Santa Barbara and Los Olivos
Los Olivos, California
Los Olivos is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California. The ZIP Code is 93441, and the community is inside area code 805...
is provided by State Route 154 capped by the Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge
Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge
The Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge in the Santa Ynez Mountains links Santa Barbara, California with Santa Ynez, California. The bridge is signed as part of State Route 154. The current bridge was completed and opened to traffic in 1963 and won awards for engineering, design and beauty. It is...
near the summit of San Marcos Pass
San Marcos Pass
San Marcos Pass is a mountain pass in the Santa Ynez Mountains in California.It is traversed by State Route 154. The pass connects Los Olivos and the Santa Ynez Valley with Santa Barbara, California...
. Highway 154 cuts directly between Santa Barbara and Los Olivos in a northwestern direction, whereas the 101 runs along the coast of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
about 25 miles (40.2 km) west before turning north passing through Buellton
Buellton, California
Buellton is a small city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The city of Buellton is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley...
to meet up with the 154 near Los Olivos.
In popular culture
- The Gaviota Tunnel was featured in The GraduateThe GraduateThe Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
, Wayne's World 2Wayne's World 2Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
, and SidewaysSidewaysSideways is a 2004 comedy-drama film written by Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne and directed by Payne. Adapted from Rex Pickett's 2004 novel of the same name, Sideways follows two forty-something year old men, portrayed by Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, who take a week-long road trip to...
. But in The Graduate and Wayne's World 2, Dustin HoffmanDustin HoffmanDustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
and Mike MyersMike Myers (actor)Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
travel the wrong way through the tunnel (southbound instead of northbound). In Sideways, Paul GiamattiPaul GiamattiPaul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
and Thomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden Church is an American actor. After co-starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings, Church became well known for his film roles, including his Academy Award-nominated performance in Sideways and his role as the Sandman in Spider-Man 3.-Early life:Church, the fourth of six children, was born...
head in the correct northbound direction.