Sonoma Valley roadwork: When will it end?

Between trench work, bridge work and tree work, Sonoma Valley drivers are seeing construction from Glen Ellen to Schellville. Here’s a rundown of the biggest projects, and when they are expected to wrap up.

Highway 12

Closed since Sept. 5 as Caltrans works to replace the Hooker Creek Bridge, spokesperson Jeffrey Weiss confirmed on Thursday that the stretch of Highway 12 between Madrone and Agua Caliente would open to traffic on Oct. 5.

Arnold Drive

The Valley of the Moon Water District is working on an open trench in downtown Glen Ellen, across from Marshall’s Body Shop. For certain hours of the day, traffic is reduced to one lane as the southbound lane is closed. The construction will be completed in the next two weeks, according to Matthew Fullner, general manager of VOMWD.

“The work is for needed fire flow improvements in downtown Glen Ellen,” he said.

The agency is avoiding closures during peak traffic times and has been monitoring the impact on drivers, considering the Highway 12 closure.

“Our wait times are typically 2 minutes or less,” Fullner said.

Once the trench work is completed, additional work will be required to repave the roadway, which is planned for after Highway 12 is back open.

Watmaugh Road

Closed since December, Watmaugh Road was back in business on Thursday.

“Our bridge maintenance crew has successfully repaired the bridge foundations that were failing due to scour from Fowler Creek,” Karina Garcia, field representative for Supervisor Susan Gorin, emailed.

Up next, the county will work to replace the historic Watmaugh Bridge, which has been in disrepair for years with a safety rating of 31 out of 100. Work is slated to begin in 2024 or 2025.

Contact editor/publisher Emily Charrier at emily.charrier@sonomanews.com.