Napa Road makeover underway at Four Corners

Good news is bike lane, bad news traffic delays|

Construction has begun on repaving Napa Road, between Broadway and Jones Street at the southern end of Sonoma city limits, an intersection locally known as Four Corners.

According to city engineer and public works director Dan Takasugi, 'The street is currently in poor condition and requires extensive rehabilitation.'

What Takasugi termed 'lots of traffic disruptions' are expected during the repaving, which is now scheduled to begin Wednesday, Aug. 19. There will be signage posted beginning the week prior to construction, using electronic text-based signs that can be changed with the conditions.

'The construction will likely cause traffic delays, so the public will be urged to take alternate routes,' said Takasugi. He estimates the project will take approximately two months, with construction during daylight hours only.

"Although most work is intended to be day-time work, Caltrans directed that work around the four-corners intersection be performed at night," amended Takasugi.

One-way traffic is expected at times when half the road is closed for paving; flag control personnel may be on hand to signal alternate-traffic flow, and detour messages may be posted as well. All businesses will remain open, and residents will have access to their homes.

About six blocks will be repaved, beginning at the corner location of Friedman's Home Improvement and going east down Napa Road toward Jones, just before Fifth Street East. Approximately half-a-mile of road will be affected.

Bicycle riders are in for a treat, however, as the work will include creation of a new Class 2 bike lane marked on the street by paint. This bike lane would connect to another Class 2 bike lane on Larken Drive to Dewell Drive, which then connects to the Class 1 bike lane, a separated pathway, along Nathanson Creek.

The work is being done by Argonaut Constructors, awarded $596,000 to perform the rehabilitation over an estimated 60 days. The bulk of the funds – about $274,000 – comes from two separate grants, including a $250,000 One Bay Area Grant of federal funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and a $23,534 grant for the bike lane from the Transportation Development Act.

The remainder is drawn from the city's Measure J revenues. Measure J, passed in June 2012, imposed a half-cent city sales tax for a period of five years to provide funding 'street and road maintenance and repairs' and other public safety services and upkeep.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.