A Press Democrat Blog

Road Warrior

Trying to make sense out of getting around

Look at what’s ahead for Airport Blvd.

Thursday, at 5:44 by

Real construction work won’t begin until June 3 on the new Airport Boulevard interchange off Highway 101 north of Santa Rosa, but Caltrans has released images of the design and the proposed detours. Take a look at what is planned for the project that will be with us until late 2014, when the newly designed Airport Boulevard exit will include a new five-lane bridge across Highway 101, a sidewalk for pedestrians and Class II bike lanes. The Fulton Road exit… Read More »

This week’s cone zones

Monday, at 6:50 by

Petaluma continues to dominate the Sonoma County road construction activity, with SMART and Caltrans work in addition to ongoing city projects. In Santa Rosa, work begins to replace antiquated sewer and water lines around Montgomery Village, a project that will continue through November. A complete list of Caltrans projects throughout the North Coast follows. Petaluma SMART crews will start replacing the railroad crossing at D Street at 6 a.m. Monday, April 29. The work is expected to be finished by… Read More »

Updated: More about the birds and the trees on U.S. 101

Wednesday, at 6:53 by

Update: Wildlife advocates staged a protest April 26, claiming that state and federal agencies are slow in replacing nets that are killing nesting swallows. Caltrans spokesmen responded by saying that crews have been working double shifts, seven days a week to correct the problem. Read the full story HERE.  Swallows nesting beneath the Petaluma River Bridge appear to be out of danger, according to a Caltrans statement released Tuesday. Caltrans spokesman Robert Haus said that biologists continued to inspect the… Read More »

Petaluma highway work begins and other cone zones

Sunday, at 6:18 by

Here’s the latest information about road construction projects and lane closures throughout Sonoma County during the week of April 8-12, with Highway 101 closures in Petaluma, Santa Rosa’s “extra attention” intersection and a roundup of CalTrans projects throughout the North Coast. Petaluma The biggest news this week is the start of a new phase of Highway 101 construction on the Sonoma-Marin Narrows project, which brings evening lane closures between Washington Street and Petaluma Boulevard South as the highway is widened… Read More »

Petaluma roadwork starts tonight at 101/E. Washington

Tuesday, at 11:38 by

Caltrans begins late night roadwork on northbound Highway 101 at the East Washington Street exit tonight, with crews working 11 p.m.-6 a.m. March 26-28 to install a cross-freeway drainage culvert. One lane of northbound traffic will be closed, as well as the northbound off-ramp to East Washington Street, which will be closed 11 p.m.-5 a.m. The work is weather dependent and will be shifted to Friday, March 29 if it is weather delayed, according to Caltrans.

Sound Off: Bikes vs. cars, red-light runners, more examples of courtesy gone awry

Wednesday, at 6:26 by

Some recent comments from readers: Unsafe bicycling on skinny roads I am new to the Sonoma County backroads. I believe in sharing the road with bicycles, but was surprised by their behavior. Last Saturday I drove out to the coast on Petaluma Point Reyes road, narrow, double yellow line. The cyclists were riding 2, sometimes 3 across. Even when they looked back and saw me, they didn’t always shift into single file. There is NO WAY on those narrow roads… Read More »

Mailbag: Dirt, concrete pile along 101; free air/water at gas stations; 116 hazard

Friday, at 12:57 by

Questions from our readers: What’s up with the dirt/concrete pile along 101? What is all the construction going on east of Highway 101 just south of Petaluma?  It’s been a curiosity for a couple of weeks now, and has gotten to the point where it’s now causing traffic delays in the morning.  The work isn’t technically on the freeway.  It’s just east of it, a hundred yards or so off the side of the road.  They’ve put a long orange… Read More »

Traffic delays on main Petaluma street

Tuesday, at 10:20 by

Paving crews are at work Tuesday and Wednesday on East Washington Street in Petaluma, and police are warning of traffic delays. The work is in on westbound East Washington from about Highway 101 to Edith Street in the right lane. The paving, once completed, will be a relief to Petaluma drivers who for months have had to deal with the jarring bumps left by a water main replacement project along East Washington. —————- Follow the Road Warrior on Twitter via… Read More »

Highway 1, 101 lane closures this week in Sonoma County

Sunday, at 9:38 by

Caltrans this week plans the following lane closures in Sonoma County: Highway 1: –One-way traffic control between Fort Ross Road and and Meyers Grade Road because of part of the road has slipped away. Highway 101: –9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday,  one lane closed from Fulton onramp to Windsor River Road, which is the downtown Windsor exit. –7 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, one lane closed from Fulton onramp to Windsor River Road. –10 p.m. to 6… Read More »

Mailbag: Santa Rosa’s parking surveillance SUV; travel time signs

Friday, at 5:40 by

Questions from Road Warrior readers: Santa Rosa’s parking surveillance SUV What is that police car that drivers around and has all the cameras and surveillance equipment on it and has Parking Enforcement on its sides. Are we supposed to believe that vehicle patrols parking spaces? Just curious. Kurt You’re referring to the white Ford Escape hybrid that Santa Rosa started using about two years ago to look for parking violators. It cost $64,957 and is equipped with four cameras, two… Read More »