A 17 mile stretch of Highway 101, aptly named the Novato narrows, has been an ongoing problem for motorists. Next year, it will finally receive a $766 million makeover which will widen it, remove turning lanes and add frontage roads. Mike Kerns, chairman of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority described the renovation plan as "long overdue," adding that "The narrows through there is an old rural-type road, not designed to accommodate the kind of traffic that is using it and it is a bottleneck along the corridor."
The work on the narrows is slated to begin in December 2010 with the creation of carpool lanes in Novato. This is will be supplemented with overpasses, bridges and frontage roads to be built over the course of four years. The widening of Highway 101 is being financed by Measure M, and has become the North Bay's highest priority. This portion of the reconstruction will take approximately two years. This is great news for wine country enthusiasts traveling to Napa or Sonoma Valley from San Francisco.
