Here’s a question from a reader:

Can you tell me anything as to why Stony Point Road between Sebastopol Road and Hearn/Bellevue area is so thrashed and why little to no work is done on it? I’m also curious if you wouldn’t mind posting about a very troublesome intersection at Hearn and Stony Point where motorists seem unfamiliar with the responsibilities of yielding to ALL traffic when turning left at a solid green light. I think the people need re-education. Samuel

The answer comes from Lori Urbanek, interim supervising engineer with Santa Rosa’s Transportation and Public Works Department, who says if all goes well, including funding, construction to redo and widen Stony Point to two lanes in each direction will begin in summer 2014. The $15 million project will be from Sebastopol Road to 1,000 feet south of Hearn Avenue. In 2010, the city finished widening Stony Point from Highway 12 to Sebastopol Road in the first phase of improving Stony Point.

Urbanek says PG&E in summer 2013 is expected to start putting underground overhead utility lines and relocating electrical and gas transmission lines. That work is expected to take about a year.

Another question:

My question is about the westbound Bicentennial Way exit off of Highway 101 north in Santa Rosa. The exit is somewhat “blind” for both the Bicentennial traffic as well as the highway traffic coming on to the Bicentennial overpass (neither traffic flow can see the other until it’s time to actually merge). This merge is dangerous and to compound the problem, there’s no signage for drivers to indicate to them who has the right of way.

It is my understanding that merging traffic must yield in this situation, but I’m not sure if that applies. Anyways, who’s responsible for that merge? Is it Caltrans or the city of SR or…?

Joe, Santa Rosa

The answer is that drivers merging onto Bicentennial must yield. But drivers on Bicentennial have a responsibility for safety too, and they should be watching out for merging traffic. Having taken that exit many a time, I agree that it’s hard to see traffic coming toward you on Bicentennial, and the trees and bushes don’t help.

As for who’s responsible for the merge, it’s Caltrans. The agency’s rep for Sonoma County is Adam Priest, and he can be reached at 510-286-5543.

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