Sonoma residents can now enjoy 30 miles of uninterrupted carpool lane travel thanks to funding from SB 1 and Measure M
SONOMA COUNTY — Caltrans and the Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) announced today the opening of the southbound carpool lane on US Highway 101 in Petaluma, the final milestone on the Petaluma Widening Project that adds north and southbound carpool lanes between Corona Road and Lakeville Highway (State Route 116) in Petaluma. The three-year, $122 million project includes $85 million in funding from Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, and $37 million in funding from Sonoma County’s Measure M.
“The partnership between the Sonoma County and Caltrans provided the financial resources to get this project completed,” said Caltrans District 4 Director Dina El Tawansy. “By combining SB 1 funds with county funds, we set this project in motion, and ultimately bridged the gap in the carpool lanes, which will reduce congestion, encourage transit and carpool use, and improve the quality of life for all Californians who travel this corridor.”
The Petaluma Widening Project included raising and widening the North Petaluma Overhead, building a bridge over the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit tracks and a new bridge over Rainier Avenue, adding a new northbound auxiliary lane between Lakeville Highway and East Washington Street, and installing four new sound walls.
The project reached a milestone in November 2021, when the northbound carpool lane opened. With the opening of the southbound carpool lane, motorists will experience the full benefits of the project. Only minor construction work remains to be done, such as sign construction, paving, and lane striping.
"This final piece of Highway 101 improvements caps a two-decade effort to complete carpool lanes from Petaluma to Windsor," said Suzanne Smith, Executive Director of Sonoma County Transportation Authority. "Thanks to voters who approved local funds, as well as our partners in the Bay Area, the State, and Washington DC, we now have reliable and improved infrastructure that will support the movement of people and goods."
The lanes fill a gap between existing carpool lanes that extend north to downtown Windsor and south to the Marin-Sonoma border, providing 6.6 miles of new lanes. The newly added lanes bring the total to 60 miles of carpool lanes between Petaluma and Windsor.
Completion of the Petaluma Widening Project brings to fruition a $1.2 billion Sonoma County plan for Highway 101 between Petaluma and Windsor to boost transit and carpool use, improve highway safety and traffic operations at interchanges, and support evacuations during emergencies. The project is one of 13 projects on the Marin/Sonoma Narrows Widening Project, a regional endeavor to add 17 miles of carpool lanes in each direction on Highway 101 between State Route 37 in Marin County and Corona Road in Petaluma.
SB 1 provides $5 billion in transportation funding annually shared equally between the state and local agencies. Road projects progress through construction phases more quickly based on the availability of SB 1 funds, including projects that are partially funded by SB 1. For more information about other transportation projects funded by SB 1, visit RebuildingCA.ca.gov.
For more information visit the Petaluma Widening Project webpage.
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