After nearly a decade of planning, construction begins Monday, June 3, on the expanded and redesigned freeway interchange at Airport Boulevard, north of Santa Rosa.

Expect construction detours to begin Monday, as the northbound loop off-ramp at Airport Boulevard is permanently closed. Traffic will be detoured to the Fulton Road off-ramp.

SCTA Executive Director Suzanne Smith

Work will continue through late 2014 as crews convert the Airport Boulevard and Fulton Road on- and off-ramps into one single interchange, replace the two-lane Airport Boulevard overpass with a five-lane bridge. Sound walls also will be built between Shiloh and Windsor River roads to reduce traffic noise without blocking views of the city.

Construction signs were already installed Wednesday morning as representatives from key agencies gathered at Tierra Vegetables for a groundbreaking ceremony.

4th District Supervisor Mark McGuire

North County Supervisor Mike McGuire described the project as “short term pain for the long term gain” as Caltrans and contractor Ghilotti Construction build “a bridge to our region’s future.”

By 2014, the airport’s main runway will have been lengthened to accommodate larger airplanes serving cities throughout the west and southwest. This project will provide the infrastructure needed to handle the increased traffic and to serve the Airport Business Center, he said.

“More than 20,000 people commute over this overpass each day to the Airport Business Center,” McGuire said, creating “one of the worst morning backups on Highway 101.”

The new interchange will address that problem with longer on- and off-ramps, traffic signals and a new overcrossing bridge with four traffic lanes, a turn lane, sidewalks and bike lanes.

The $55 million project is funded with with $26 million from the state’s Proposition 1B transportation bond and $29 million from Sonoma County’s Measure M sales tax revenue.

From left, Rohnert Park Counselmember Jake Mackenzie, County Supervisor Mike McGuire, Congressman Mike Thompson, Windsor Mayor Robin Gobel, Windsor Counselmember Steve Allen, SCTA Executive Director Suzanne Smith and Caltrans Chief Deputy District Director Dan McElhinney.

Upcoming detours and construction activities include:

June 3 – Permanent closure of northbound U.S. 101 loop off-ramp at Airport Blvd. Traffic will be detoured to exist at the northbound U.S. 101 off-ramp at Fulton Road.

June 6 – Permanent closure of the northbound Fulton Road to northbound U.S. 101 loop on-ramp. Traffic will continue on northbound Fulton Road to the Airport Boulevard on-ramp.

Tree stumps will be removed. New trees will be planted once construction is finished.

Windsor sound wall construction will begin, starting with a section in front of the Windsor Mobile Country Club community.

Construction updates will be available at  (707) 781-2245, dot.ca.gov/dist4/101airportblvd or on Twitter @Sonoma101.

 Click on the map for a closer look.

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