Caltrans to Begin Retaining Wall Project on State Route 116 near Monte Rio in Sonoma County

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Flaggers will direct daytime one-way traffic control on Wednesday, August 20
24-hour one-way traffic control by signal lights on September 3

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SONOMA COUNTY - Caltrans begins a year-long retaining wall project today, Monday, August 18, on State Route 116 in Sonoma County just east of Cnopius Road in Monte Rio, Sonoma County. Ghilotti Brothers is the contractor on the $14 million project to replace a culvert beneath the highway and build a retaining wall to shore up a steep and imminently failing slope on the north side of the road.

Map of State Route 116 in Sonoma County with a star indicating the position of the retaining wall project near Monte Rio.

Flaggers will direct one-way traffic control during work hours, Monday – Friday. Caltrans will install concrete barriers on September 3 that will cordon off one of the two lanes for the rest of the project.  At that time, Caltrans will operate an electronic traffic signal, implementing one-way traffic control 24 hours a day until project completion.

With steep hills and heavy winter rains, this area of SR-116 is especially prone to landslides. Indeed, Caltrans will be finishing a project on SR 116 just two miles to the east before the end of August.

While other slide projects in the vicinity have been undertaken as emergencies, the upcoming project has been planned for several years, as Caltrans geologists and hydrologists have long noted the tenuous soil conditions along the north side of the road.

A damaged and outdated culvert that carries water beneath the road adds to the urgency of the project.

Map showing the section of State Route 116 near Monte Rio where the retaining wall project is located.Photograph of State Route 116 near Monte Rio in Sonoma County. The roadway is lined by a tree-covered hillside.

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