Crossing work ahead in Petaluma

Motorists can expect delays as construction crews replace railroad crossings in preparation for a commuter train one day zipping along the spine of Sonoma County.

The work, which began this week in Santa Rosa and moves south in coming weeks, may be the public's clearest evidence to date that the SMART train is becoming a reality.

Railroad crossings at several intersections in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Penngrove and Petaluma are being upgraded to prepare for the train's debut in late 2015 or early 2016.

The goal of the work is to make the ride less bumpy for motorists when they drive over the crossings, said Matt Stevens, a spokesman for the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District.

The work will cause delays of up to 10 minutes while traffic is routed around the closed intersections, Stevens said.

"Most of the crossing detours are relatively short," he said.

Excavators on Wednesday hauled dirt from a large hole at a railroad crossing on east Sebastopol Road near Roseland University Prep School.

Several motorists appeared not to have noticed detour signs and were forced to turn around when they reached the work site. Pedestrians were allowed to pass through along a makeshift footbridge.

Stevens said crews are excavating trenches about 15 feet wide and 2 feet deep to install drainage and signal equipment beneath the rails. That's followed with a layer of crushed rock and the installation of rails and ties.

The $366 million first segment of the commute line stretches 38.5 miles from Guerneville Road in Santa Rosa to the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael.

SMART is removing the existing rails along the route, rebuilding the track bed, putting in concrete ties and and welding new rail in place.

Nine other railroad crossings are scheduled for upgrades in coming weeks.

That includes West Robles Avenue and Todd Road in Santa Rosa, Scenic Road in Rohnert Park, East Railroad Avenue in Cotati, Adobe Road in Penngrove, and Corona Road, Petaluma Hill Road, South Point Boulevard and Ely Road in Petaluma.

Stevens said SMART also is expecting another shipment of rails to be delivered by train to Sonoma County in early September.

The rails will be installed from D Street in Petaluma to the Petaluma River, and from Sebastopol Road to Guerneville Road in Santa Rosa.

A shipment of rails caused traffic delays in Petaluma this week, prompting Petaluma police to issue an advisory for motorists to seek alternate routes.

You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@

pressdemocrat.com.

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