Narrows work is a welcome sign

After decades of inaction, it appears that something concrete may actually happen to ease the legendary traffic congestion and improve safety standards in the seven-mile length of four-lane freeway that stretches between Petaluma and Novato.

Recently announced plans call for construction of new carpool lanes between Atherton Avenue and Highway 37 in Novato, to begin in fall 2010, along with the addition of long-awaited improvements to the busy East Washington Street interchange in central Petaluma.

The latter improvement will be a huge help to local motorists who are often caught in the backup at the substandard interchange created by vehicles waiting to make left turns to get onto the freeway headed north and south.

Also coming in 2011 is work on a new interchange at Petaluma Boulevard South and the construction of frontage roads that will close off the numerous and dangerous side streets and driveways that now dump traffic directly onto the highway between Kastania Road and San Antonio Road in Marin County.

The highway itself will be realigned and raised at San Antonio Road near the county line, eliminating the flooding that routinely closes the vital artery during even moderate storms.

Replacement of the Petaluma River Bridge is also part of the project, but a construction date has not yet been set. Next to come will be carpool lanes from the bridge to Old Redwood Highway on the north end of town, but no timetable has been set for those improvements.

It is an ambitious project with an ambitious budget — $300 million. The funds are coming from federal transportation money, state bonds, state transportation money and Measure M, the quarter-cent sales tax increase approved by Sonoma County voters. Without the Measure M funds, it is unlikely that the federal and state money for the project would have been available.

These improvements are badly needed and overdue. But, they don’t solve the real problem — too many cars and not enough lanes. When the freeway collapses from three lanes in each direction to two just north of Novato, it will still slog to a standstill during peak commute times.

What is needed, and has long been sought, is for “three lanes all the way” to become a reality instead of an oft-repeated mantra. That reality is still a very long time and $446 million away.

However, the improvements set to begin late next year are a good beginning and, according to local officials, will help attract even more federal and state funds to fix a problem that has too long cost North Bay drivers countless hours of time and frustration and hurt Petaluma economically by delaying the delivery of goods, services, workers and residents.

Let the improvements begin.