Sonoma County topped 50 miles of repaved roads, 54 culvert replacements in 2023

Sonoma County today announced the results of the Summer 2023 road construction season, which included the resurfacing of 50 miles of county-maintained roads and the replacement of 54 culverts. The work involved a combination of roads identified for the ongoing Pavement Preservation Program and roads that qualified for repair as part of the Fire Damage Recovery Paving Project supported by PG&E settlement funds. The cost of all paving work performed during the summer was approximately $32 million.

“As we look to a new year, we can celebrate and be thankful for the hard work and productivity of county road crews in 2023,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “The county road system is a vital asset and core service for both residents and visitors, and we will continue to prioritize funding across our communities, now and for future generations.”

“Since 2012, the Board has invested more than $185 million of discretionary General Funds to improve 520 miles of roads totaling 38 percent of the county-maintained network,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt, Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “Our road infrastructure is worth this continued investment as it’s used by almost every citizen in our county and serves as a vital pathway for first responders.”

Sonoma County uses a combination of corrective maintenance and pavement preservation to take care of 1,368 miles of roads and 328 bridges, which is the largest road network in the San Francisco Bay Area. Because state gas tax funding for roads is distributed based on the number of vehicle registrations in a county rather than the number of road miles, rural counties receive disproportionately less road funding. As a result, the Board of Supervisors proactively contributes more discretionary dollars to road repairs than any of the other 57 California counties.

In June, the Board approved a 3 percent boost in the General Fund contribution for resurfacing and maintaining the county road network, equal to $310,145 for fiscal year 2023-24. This is an addition to the $10 million in General Fund dollars that the Board already allocates to the program each year, which supplements the gas tax funds that also are spent on road improvements in Sonoma County. Other funding sources for county road repairs include the Measure L transient occupancy tax and Measure M sales tax.

Segments of the following Sonoma County roads were repaved in 2023 as part of the Pavement Preservation Program:

• Cherry Ave.
• Riverside Dr.
• Blank Road
• East Washington St.
• Langner Ave.
• Lohrman Ln.
• McBrown Road
• Monte Vista Ln.
• Wilson Ln.
• East Todd Road
• Mark West Station Road
• North Fitch Mountain Road
• Starr Road
• Washington School Road
• Bay Hill Road
• Bittner Road
• Joy Road
• Kennedy Road
• Llano Road
• Main St.
• Mirabel Road
• Neeley Road
• Trenton Road
• Wohler Road

The following Sonoma County roads were repaved in 2023 as part of the Fire Damage Recovery Paving Project:

• Alyssum Court
• Arnica Way
• Baile De Ciervos
• Candlelight Drive
• Carriage Lane
• Cassandra Way
• Circulo Real
• Coach light Place
• Corbett Circle
• Dempsey Place
• El Mercado Pkwy.
• Eureka Ave.
• Faught Road
• Firelight Court
• Firelight Drive
• Fitzsimmons Place
• Gazania Court
• Greenview Drive
• Kiva Place
• Limelight Place
• Marigold Lane
• Rosemary Lane
• Stirrup Court
• Tunney Place
• Vintage Glen Court
• Voss Park Circle
• Aero Drive
• Alexander David Court
• Creek Way
• Lystra Court
• Vista Grande Drive
• Vista Grande Place
• Wikiup Court
• Wikiup Drive

The Pavement Preservation Program was established in 2014 to prioritize higher volume roads categorized as Major Collectors and Minor Arterials, which comprise 26 percent of the county-maintained road system. These roads provide transportation routes that connect communities, are used by a high number of vehicles, and generally operate at higher speed limits than most county roads.

In 2019, recognizing that storm water is a major factor contributing to roadway degradation, the Pavement Preservation Program was enhanced to include roadside ditch re-establishment and replacement of damaged culverts to improve the outcome of paving work and extend the life of the pavement.

County officials have reported less public acceptance for maintenance treatments and more demands for road reconstruction, which prompted the additional focus on addressing secondary rural roads with lower traffic volume and inferior pavement conditions. These roads comprise most of the county system and require more substantial treatment at higher cost.

In addition to road construction and maintenance projects in 2023, the county’s Department of Public Infrastructure completed vegetation removal along nearly 109 miles of county-maintained roads, clearing vegetation within four feet of the edge of public roadways and 15 feet above roads within the public right-of-way to help with vehicle clearance and sight distance on roadways. The program also benefits county roads by reducing risks related to future wildfires by removing vegetation identified as hazards to firefighters and the public, in the interest of safe evacuations during an emergency.

Additional completed projects include permanent repairs of 3 storm-damaged sites on Moscow Road, which had closed a section of the road for four years, as well as installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Stony Point Road and Roblar Road, in coordination with the Roblar Road Quarry.   

Other 2023 accomplishments by Sonoma County Road Maintenance include:

• 54 culverts replaced or repaired
• 1,562 road signs replaced
• 62 guardrail replacements
• 1,517 potholes fixed
• 505 hazardous vegetation requests addressed
• 504 drainage concerns addressed
• 276 locations treated for pavement striping and road stenciling
• Four pile walls constructed and six slope stabilization repairs to 10 storm-damaged sites on Mill Creek Road, Cherry Creek Road, Pine Flat Road, Fort Ross Road, Wallace Road, Montgomery Road, Bohemian Highway, Cazadero Highway, St. Helena Road and Pine Flat Road
• Bridge foundation repaired on Watmaugh Road over Fowler Creek
• Bailey Bridge installed on a washed-out section of Salmon Creek Road
• Three seasonal crossings over the Russian River installed and removed

More information related to funding sources for the Department of Public Infrastructure is available here:
https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/TPW/Funding-Sources/

For information regarding current county road projects, please visit:
https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/TPW/Current-Road-Projects/

Current road closures, including registration to receive alerts, are accessed at:
https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/TPW/Roads/Projects/Current-Road-Work/ 

Sonoma County roads by Supervisorial District can be identified here:
https://sonomacounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=f3625af3893d4d90802528e836c8efe9

To view a map of county paving projects in 2022 and 2023, please visit:
https://sonomacounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9aca4606b26a4de3a3dd1b16aa59234d 

For information about how roads are selected for paving, please visit:
http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/TPW/Roads/Services/Pavement-Preservation/Project-Selection/. 

Sonoma County residents may submit a road project for future consideration by calling (707) 565-2550 or by email to SPI@Sonoma-County.org. 

Non-emergency road requests may be submitted and tracked via:
https://sonomacountyca.citysourced.com/.  

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Media Contacts:
Dan Virkstis, communications specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org 
(707) 565-3040