"The project to widen what was once essentially a rural road began in the 1990s and was accomplished in phases, the last of which being the infamous Marin-Sonoma Narrows, the section of 101 between Novato and Petaluma where both the northbound and southbound roadway once shrank from three lanes down to two. This 16-mile stretch had several pinch points remaining until Monday morning, when, as the Press Democrat reports, the Marin-Sonoma Narrows project was officially completed, and some closed right-hand lands were opened to traffic."
"For those living in Sonoma County, especially those who regularly have to drive south to Marin County or San Francisco, you can imagine the waking nightmare of this constant traffic snarl, which stemmed from a freeway construction project that has been ongoing for as long as anyone can remember. As we noted last month, it has actually been going on for 30 years, with Sonoma County slow-walking the project due to lack of funds, causing the construction to stop and start over the years, and leading many to wonder what the fuck was taking so long as they watched hours of their lives tick away in stop-and-go traffic."
Bay Area drivers endured chronic congestion on Highway 101 at the Marin–Sonoma border for decades due to a prolonged freeway-widening project. The corridor began conversion from a rural road in the 1990s and advanced in 13 phases across a 58-mile program spread over three decades. The final Marin–Sonoma Narrows segment between Novato and Petaluma reduced from three lanes to two at several pinch points. The completed work opened previously closed right-hand lanes and added 16 miles of HOV lanes. The 16-mile Narrows portion required about 14 years and cost approximately $762 million.
Read at sfist.com
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