Community Corner
Wilfred Avenue - Golf Course Undercrossing to be Opened June 15
A mid-afternoon ceremony with City and CalTrans dignitaries will conclude with the cutting of the ribbon, allowing traffic to flow smoothly beneath Highway 101
If you've been dreading driving across town due to the on-going construction on Hwy. 101, help is on the way. Not just help, but a ceremonial opening of the long-delayed Golf Course Drive undercrossing.
On Friday, June 15, at 3 p.m. the City of Rohnert Park will hold a brief ceremony to celebrate the opening to traffic the new undercrossing beneath U.S. Route 101 at Golf Course Drive. The new undercrossing will provide an easy passage from Rohnert Park Wilfred Avenue (Golf Course Drive West) to the eastern side of Rohnert Park and for freeway travelers.
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The ceremony will be held at the Park & Ride at the intersection of Golf Course and Commerce near , according to city engineer Pat Barnes. Attending dignitaries will include the city council, Mayor, who does double-duty on the Sonoma County Transportation Authority; plus Bijan Sartipi, the head of California Department of Transportation District 4, and perhaps even the director of CalTrans himself, Malcolm Dougherty. Several of them will give brief speeches honoring the event.
Then they'll cut the ribbon and open the underpass to traffic. "It actually won't be open until the ribbon is cut," Barnes said. "Once they get the traffic lights synched up, traffic will flow very smoothly in there.
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Immediately following the ribbon-cutting, the rare condition will be present of not one, not none, but two open under-crossings beneath Highway 101, one at Golf Course, and the other at Commerce.
However, it will be a short-lived phenomenon. Starting at 6 a.m. on Monday, June 18, the will be temporarily closed to speed up construction, "probably in the range of a couple months," Barnes said.
"We've been working on this project for 40 years," said Barnes. "I recently found some materials on the project dated to 1974." The work is now known as the Wilfred Avenue Interchange Project, operated by CalTrans.
At this point, with the opening just a couple days away, new permanent signal lights have been installed that will be flashing red until Friday, signifying a four-way stop. These will not be able to be timed for traffic by CalTrans engineers until the day of the opening itself.
For the next few days, the flashing red might create some congestion in this area, and alternate routes may be advisable.
"If you quote me on anything," said Barnes, "it's that this is a change in traffic conditions. I would urge drivers to exercise caution through the area."
