New Hwy. 101 lanes could open by Jan. 1

<p>Two additional lanes on Highway 101 between Santa Rosa and Windsor could be opened to motorists as early as Jan. 1, nearly a year ahead of schedule, according to Caltrans.</p><p>That could help ease bottlenecks in the area by widening the highway to six lanes. The 8-mile stretch of road has been under construction for most of this year.</p><p>Caltrans officials said they weren't expecting to have the additional lanes open until they had finished the entire process of paving them. But they now believe they will have a sufficient amount of asphalt down by Jan. 1 to allow traffic to pass.</p><p>“This has the potential to improve traffic and convenience, so we are considering it,” said S. “Ray” Nozzari, who is overseeing the project for Caltrans.</p><p>The lanes will be designated for high occupancy vehicles, which will restrict their use during certain hours of the day.</p><p>The announcement comes as Caltrans is preparing to wind down construction work on the highway in preparation for winter.</p><p>Nozzari said the $82 million project is on schedule to wrap up in 2010 and on budget.</p>