San Rafael, CA – During the week of June 5, the Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) will resume a road sealant project that began in summer 2022. The preventative maintenance project was on hold during the winter months and wet spring months due to the weather requirements for the road work techniques being used.
Once this second phase of work is completed, the project will have improved 40 miles of roads in unincorporated areas of Marin, which accounts for approximately 10% of the County-maintained road network. The $3 million project addresses roads that were selected during the planning phase in 2021 and is funded by the County’s Road and Bridge Rehabilitation Fund, as well as Senate Bill 1. This is just one of the many pavement management projects being undertaken by DPW this fiscal year, which will address over 56 total miles of unincorporated roads.
The work that is beginning the week of June 5 is expected to be completed by the end of June. The remaining efforts will primarily focus on various arterial and collector roads in West Marin. The specific roads for this phase of work are:
- Novato Boulevard, from the western City of Novato limits to Point Reyes-Petaluma Road.
- Point Reyes-Petaluma Road, from about 1,000 feet east of the intersection with Nicasio Valley Road to approximately 1.4 miles before the intersection with Novato Boulevard.
- Point Reyes-Petaluma Road, from about 1,000 feet east of Hicks Valley Road to the Marin/Sonoma county line.
- Tomales Petaluma Road, from Twin Bridge Road to Highway 1.
- Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, from Lagunitas Creek Bridge to White Hill Bridge.
Construction is expected to take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will require traffic control measures. This will include lane closures with up to 10-minute delays but those will only be instituted between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Residents and businesses along the impacted roads will be notified directly by the contractor in advance of the work.
Roadway signage will be in place in advance of any lane closures that will impact traffic. Drivers should always remain alert and drive slowly through the construction zone for the safety of construction crews and the travelers. Additionally, travelers need to follow all signage to avoid driving on fresh sealant, as doing so can cause damage to the car and to the new road material.
Preventative maintenance helps extend the lifecycle of pavement and can delay when a street needs to be repaved, avoiding expensive and disruptive rehabilitation projects. This proactive approach calls for keeping good roads in good condition, rather than having them fully deteriorate through their lifecycle.
Relative to major rehabilitation or reconstruction, there are various preservation treatments that can be applied to a road segment quickly and for a fraction of the cost, making them an inherently sustainable activity and a financially responsible option. The work often utilizes low environmental impact treatments to prolong the functionality of the pavement. Compared to major rehabilitation activities, pavement preservation requires significantly less energy and mined materials, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions over time.
Improving roadway conditions across unincorporated areas of Marin has been an ongoing commitment of the County for years and is one of the top priorities for the Board of Supervisors. Ultimately the County’s roads program is a hybrid strategy of pavement preservation, pavement rehabilitation, and road reconstruction projects. The long-term strategy is to maintain a quality road network across unincorporated Marin in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.