SANTA CRUZ >> A series of partial Highway 1 overnight closures have been scheduled near Santa Cruz, Capitola and Aptos this week as workers continue progress on a pair of major construction efforts.

Southbound Highway 1 at Park Avenue will be closed from 11 p.m. through 6 a.m. today, according to a release from Caltrans, in order to continue work on a project that will establish auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder facilities between Bay Avenue/Porter Street and State Park Drive interchanges.

A detour, visible through message and direction signs, will direct travelers off at Park Avenue and on to Soquel Drive before rejoining southbound Highway 1 at the State Park Drive onramp.

The $78 million project is expected to be completed by September 2026, according to the release.

Meanwhile, up the road a minute or two, a series of partial overnight closures in both directions have been planned to support a similar auxiliary lane and bus-on-shoulder project.

For four consecutive nights starting today, commuters will encounter closure of the left lane in both northbound and southbound directions of Highway 1 between 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive. The northbound lane closures will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. while the southbound closures will last from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., according to a Caltrans release. Drivers will be channeled to the right lane with delays of 10 minutes or less expected.

The closures will give construction crews enough room to establish base rock in the center median.

Daytime ramp closures at Soquel Avenue and 41st Avenue had also been scheduled for this week, providing space for crews to conduct landscape activities.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, the Soquel Avenue onramp to southbound Highway 1 and the northbound onramp from westbound and eastbound 41st Avenue will be closed, though only one northbound ramp will be closed at any one time.

The closures will last during these same hours for four consecutive days, wrapping up at 3 p.m. Thursday.

The highway project from 41st Avenue to Soquel Avenue/Drive will cost $29 million and is expected to be finished by late 2025.