N. Bay 101 Carpool Lane Opening Delayed

Caltrans said Thursday the opening of the carpool lanes on north and south U.S. Highway 101 between Santa Rosa and Windsor are delayed until Sunday morning.

The southbound carpool lane along the 7.6-mile widened segment was to open this morning and the northbound lane was to open Sunday morning.

Caltrans spokesman Bob Haus said completion of the striping along the highway was delayed because one of the contractor's equipment operators had a family emergency. Both carpool lanes will be open Sunday morning by around 6 a.m., Haus said. The highway will then be three lanes in each direction.

The $120 million project, $82 million in actual construction costs, is finishing about 13 months ahead of schedule, Haus said. It was decided to finish the carpool lanes first before making other paving and widening work at overpasses and on- and off-ramps, Haus said.

The highway will be repaved in the spring with two coats of asphalt, Haus said.

The first coat includes asphalt that also contains ground up tires from landfills. The second coat of graded asphalt will be like a "hard sponge" that affords a quiet ride, Haus said.

Some lanes of the highway between Santa Rosa and Windsor will be closed for striping tonight and Saturday night at 8 p.m. until around 7 or 8 a.m. the next morning, Haus said.

Haus said the opening of the carpool lanes just in time for the Monday morning commute and rain that is predicted Sunday night.