Bypass project closer to approval

various sources Article Last Updated: 2/21/2007

See previous article: MCOG proposes $177 million bypass for bond fund

State transit officials Friday recommended $177 million for a Willits bypass. The recommendations by the California Transportation Commission staff covers most of what was requested by the Mendocino Council of Governments for a four lane expressway in Mendocino County from Haehl Creek Overhead to Reynolds Highway (9.1 miles) which would bypass the City of Willits. . Noting that environmental clearance complete and with construction slated to start January 2010, the Commission staff forwarded for approval MCOG’s requests for $6.738 million for right of way and $170.701 million for construction.  Staff recommended that the $177.003 million be applied only to construction, including construction support. Preconstruction costs should be covered by STIP or local funding. After 14 years of environmental review, public comment, and response to comments, the Willits Bypass Environmental Impact Report is now complete. The EIR requires a mitigation plan that CalTrans District 1 will implement, with $23 million of improvements and conservation easements for habitat and other impacted areas of the valley. Now CalTrans may proceed with right-of-way acquisition, which is fully funded. The design phase is well underway, with identification of the Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative (LEDPA), the route alternative named "Modified J1T." The construction phase is partially funded to date, and as funding partners for state highway projects, MCOG and Caltrans hope to secure remaining funds from the bond program. Other funding recommendations for this year included $141.2 million to add lanes on Highway 101 from Cotati to Rohnert Park and from Santa Rosa to central Windsor in Sonoma County. The staff report recommended against funding in this round a widening project for the "Novato Narrows" on Highway 101 near the Sonoma-Marin border and an expressway project on Highway 29 in Lake County. The staff report noted 149 projects were nominated "amounting to over $11.3 billion in proposed CMIA funding" and recommended 43 projects amounting to $2.8 billion based upon "project readiness for construction, demonstrable congestion relief and connectivity benefits, geographic balance, and the north-south split." The CTC commission will hold a public hearing on the recommendations yesterday and will make a final decision Feb. 28.