The Bay Avenue offramp closure is a problem for one type of trip. Since the night of Aug. 2, drivers heading south on Highway 1 have not been able to exit at Bay Avenue. People who reach Holiday Corners by Porter Street, Soquel Drive or South Main Street can still get there the same way they always have.
That is why the businesses on the corner are asking for help from the people who live nearby. The owners of Carpo's Restaurant made the request directly in an August statement to the Santa Cruz Sentinel:
"We completely understand that Highway 1 needs these long-term improvements, but right now, we are really counting on our incredible local community to take those surface streets, bypass the freeway entirely, and continue supporting us through the fall. We are open, we are accessible, and we need your support now more than ever."
Co-owners Arvind and Oanh Ramakrishnan told the paper that the highway exit is the "lifeblood for bringing in visitors." They worried the closure would hit hard during peak season, even with a detour in place.
One ramp for four months was the smaller plan
The current closure is the scaled-down version. Caltrans Public Information Chief Kevin Drabinski told the Sentinel that the original construction contract called for closing all four ramps at the Bay Avenue/Porter Street interchange together for about a year. After more discussion with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission and other partners, that plan was ruled out.
"Our teams were able to revise the staging sequence and stagger the ramp closures to the greatest extent practicable," Drabinski wrote. He added that the revised approach "maintains access through portions of the interchange during construction." The same article reported that crews found an existing retaining wall they could use rather than building a new one. That lowered costs and shortened the ramp closure.
The work belongs to Phase II of the Highway 1 Auxiliary Lane and Bus-on-Shoulder project, which runs from Bay Avenue/Porter Street to State Park Drive. The Sentinel described the phase as a $78 million project that broke ground in April 2024. The ramp is being rebuilt as part of the bus-on-shoulder facility.
The detour runs on local streets
Southbound drivers who used to exit at Bay Avenue now follow this route, according to the RTC's construction updates:
- Stay on southbound Highway 1 past Bay Avenue.
- Exit at the southbound Park Avenue offramp.
- Turn left onto Park Avenue.
- Continue on Soquel Drive and follow the detour signs back to the Porter Street/Bay Avenue area.
The detour uses Soquel Drive, which also connects Soquel Village, Aptos and the neighborhoods between them. Kym DeWitt, co-founder and co-owner of Beer Thirty Bottle Shop and Pour House, explained to the Sentinel why that matters for a business a couple hundred feet from the exit. "Bay Avenue is our direct exit and if people can't get off the exit, they're likely to go to a different establishment," she said.
Her concern is about drivers already on the highway who might not bother with the longer route. Customers who were never using the freeway exit have the same route as before.
Four storefronts, one landlord, one shared interest
Holiday Corners LLC owns the properties where four of the corner's businesses operate, according to its manager, Erik Barbic, in the Sentinel's reporting. Each one offers something a little different.
| Business | Address | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Carpo's Restaurant | 2400 Porter St. | American classics, burgers, a salad bar, seafood and pies, with patio dining, takeout, delivery and catering |
| Beer Thirty Bottle Shop and Pour House | 2504 S. Main St. | 30 rotating taps, 300-plus bottles, local beer and a beer garden |
| Buzzo Pizza | 2510 S. Main St. | Wood-fired pizza for dine-in, patio or takeout |
| Sunnyside Produce | 2520 S. Main St. | Fresh, local and organic produce, groceries and fruit baskets |
Hours vary by business, so check each one before a weeknight visit. Beer Thirty's website lists 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Buzzo lists evening hours Tuesday through Sunday and is closed on Mondays. It also offers lunch takeout pizza Friday through Sunday.
Barbic told the Sentinel that the tenants understand why the highway work is needed. "We understand there's a need (in the county) to expand Highway 1," he said. "We'd be the last (people) to question that; traffic is challenging from time to time here." With one property owner and four neighboring storefronts, a dinner at Carpo's, a growler from Beer Thirty or a bag of produce from Sunnyside all help the same block.
Why the second half of the closure is the harder half
The closure started in August so crews could use the dry season. RTC Executive Director Sarah Christensen told the Sentinel that dry weather makes it easier to complete critical work such as installing large retaining walls. Waiting until after Labor Day would have pushed that work into the rainy season.
Summer is also when businesses on the corner do their best. DeWitt told the Sentinel that Beer Thirty's revenue rises 60% during the summer season. Her concern was losing a large share of it "just before heading into the slow months."
The fall is underway, and the RTC's Oct. 14 update still lists the ramp as closed. The Carpo's owners asked the local community to take surface streets and keep supporting them "through the fall."
Beer Thirty has an event coming up for anyone who wants a reason to stop by. The Great Cornholio Cornhole Tournament is at the pour house on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 11 a.m. Tickets are listed on the shop's events page. The shop also hosts recurring gatherings. A Santa Cruz Rotary group held its first-Tuesday meetup there on Oct. 6.
When the ramp comes back, and what still won't be finished
The RTC has said the southbound Bay Avenue offramp will be closed for "approximately four months" from Aug. 2. Its construction update dated Oct. 14 still lists the closure with no specific reopening date. Four months from Aug. 2 is around early December. That is an estimate from the stated duration, not an announced date. The RTC posts construction updates weekly on its project page, which is the place to watch for changes to the closure.
Reopening the ramp may not mark the end of the project. As of its Oct. 14 update, the RTC's page says Phase II is expected to be completed in 2026. That update is more recent than the Sentinel's August article, where Christensen estimated the phase would finish in late spring or early summer of 2027. The two published timelines differ, and the agency's weekly updates are the most current word. Christensen also told the paper that a third phase would begin in late 2027.
Some of the finished work can show what to expect. The rebuilt Capitola Avenue overcrossing opened to the public on Feb. 1, 2026. Phase I, from 41st Avenue to Soquel Drive, was completed in spring 2025 and included the Chanticleer bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing. Supervisor Manu Koenig told the Sentinel that the new auxiliary lanes "have already improved traffic flow between Soquel Dr and 41st." He added, "I'm looking forward to less Highway 1 traffic and more time spent in Soquel and Capitola Village for everyone."
Dates for the rest of the closure:
- Sunday, Nov. 1, 11 a.m.: The Great Cornholio Cornhole Tournament at Beer Thirty, 2504 S. Main St.
- Around early December: The estimated end of the four-month southbound Bay Avenue offramp closure. Watch the RTC's weekly updates for the official date.
- Dec. 5 and 6: Art in the Cellars at Bargetto Winery in Soquel.
Four businesses at Holiday Corners have been without their nearest highway exit since August, and Porter Street, South Main Street and Soquel Drive still reach them.
Kathleen has followed this part of Soquel for more than 25 years. If you have questions about how the Highway 1 work could affect your street, your commute or plans for your home, Kathleen Manning is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
