Caltrans To Demolish Overpass In Petaluma

PETALUMA, CA — As part of the project to widen U.S. Highway 101 through Petaluma, Caltrans on Friday will demolish the right lanes of the Petaluma Overhead, the elevated highway that travels above the SMART railroad tracks between East Washington Street and the Corona Road overcrossing.

The work is scheduled from 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5 until 6:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6 on northbound U.S. 101 about a half-mile north of the East Washington Street interchange to the Corona Road overcrossing.

No Lane Closures

Lane closures are not necessary because the demolition work can be performed beneath the freeway, Caltrans Spokesperson Vince Jacala said.

"The demolition will be noisy, but Caltrans must perform the work at night to avoid interfering with the SMART trains that travel below the freeway during the day," Jacala said.

Temporary Lanes

Northbound traffic was shifted Jan. 14 to temporary lanes where the median once was located. The shift allows Caltrans to demolish the newly vacated lanes this weekend, part of the project to widen the freeway.

Caltrans is demolishing and rebuilding the Petaluma Overhead in stages, which allows traffic to use the elevated freeway during the construction process.

The project is scheduled for completion in late 2022.

Caltrans is adding a carpool lane to northbound and southbound Highway 101, creating a six-lane freeway of three lanes in each direction between Lakeville Highway — State Route 116 — and the Corona Road overpass.

The project is one of 13 in the larger Marin Sonoma widening project to add a carpool lane in each direction between State Route 37 in Marin and Corona Road in northern Petaluma.