Highway 101 rest stop in SLO County reopens after more than 2 years of renovations
The Camp Roberts rest stop on Highway 101 has reopened after an “extensive renovation” that took more than two years to complete, according to Caltrans.
Located off southbound Highway 101 in northern San Luis Obispo County, the Camp Roberts Safety Roadside Rest Area officially opened to the public at 10 a.m. Tuesday, the state road agency said in a news release.
The Camp Roberts rest area now features a completely new wastewater treatment system along with major electrical system upgrades, Caltrans said in the release.
An electric vehicle charge station will remain offline until a new cell signal power module is delivered and installed, the release said.
Upgrades have been made to the solar-powered EV charging station, including the addition of a second Level 2 charger, the release said.
“Landscaping renovations included downsizing lawn areas and upgrades to the smart irrigation system to support water conservation,” Caltrans said.
Picnic tables have been outfitted with new shade shelters, the release said.
Caltrans replaced deteriorating concrete septic tanks with larger fiberglass tanks and added equalization tanks to provide a buffer during peak use, along with the addition of media filters, new piping and expanded leach field capacity, the release said.
The project also added a new automated monitoring system that will allow maintenance crews to track water, wastewater and electrical system operations more efficiently, the release said, ensuring that the rest area can stay open more consistently.
Work on the rest stop near San Miguel began in May 2021, Caltrans said, but “significant delays” in material availability and fabrication for custom equipment led to a lengthy closure.
San Luis Obispo company Newton Construction and Management was the contractor for the $4.2 million project, the release said.
When will other Highway 101 rest stops reopen?
The northbound Camp Roberts Safety Roadside Rest Area will remain closed until similar renovations are completed, due to delays in material deliveries, Caltrans said.
No date for reopening the northbound facility has been confirmed, the release said.
In Santa Barbara County, the Gaviota Rest Area off southbound Highway 101 will remain closed through the fall as crews continue to repair damage from the January winter storm, the release said.
A reopening date will be announced when repairs to the northbound Gaviota facility are complete, the release said.
In the meantime, Caltrans will maintain an open lane in the restricted corridor near the Gaviota Rest Area, and will use the southbound facility as a staging area to expedite the completion of highway repairs, the release said.
Specialty Construction of San Luis Obispo is the contractor for the $4.6 million project at Gaviota, the release said.
