Smooth sailing on Highway 101

<p>There were no traffic delays Saturday on Highway 12 at the Highway 101 interchange despite the closing of a key onramp.</p><p>Dozens of truckloads of dirt were hauled away from the onramp connecting Highway 12 to northbound Highway 101 between Friday and Saturday evening — but concern about subsequent traffic delays was not borne out.</p><p>The Caltrans paving project is to wrap up for the week at 5 a.m. Sunday, and resume next weekend. Officials had urged motorists to avoid the area or risk major traffic backups.</p><p>Aside from a few motorists who tried to take the onramp and had to be directed back onto Highway 12, no problems were reported, the CHP said Saturday.</p><p>A procession of big red trucks hauled about 1,000 cubic yards of dirt — a cubic yard is roughly the size of a dishwasher — from an area perhaps 700 feet long between the onramp’s end and the Third Street exit from Highway 101, workers said Saturday. </p><p>About 1,000 tons of asphalt, which will be laid down as paving, was to be brought in starting Saturday evening. The highway 12 interchange is the most heavily trafficked in Santa Rosa.</p>