Detours start today for drivers heading to and from the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport as construction crews begin overhauling the Highway 101 interchange at Airport Boulevard.
The $55 million project will convert the two highway interchanges at Fulton Road and Airport Boulevard into a single, larger interchange.
Workers will close the northbound off-ramp to Airport Boulevard at 7 p.m. today, when work will begin on new off- and on-ramps and a new five-lane bridge over the highway, including turn lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks.
Construction work will be done 7 p.m.-6 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Caltrans officials expect the project to be completed in 2015.
While the highway's northbound Airport Boulevard exit is closed, drivers will exit at Fulton Road. They also may exit north of the airport at Shiloh Road and double back to the southbound Highway 101 exit onto Airport Boulevard.
The interchange serves the airport as well as a bustling business park with 6,000 workers, making it among the busiest exchanges in Sonoma County.
The Caltrans construction project also will include building three sound walls in Windsor to protect neighborhoods from traffic noise.
The next closure starts Thursday, when workers will permanently close the Fulton Road on-ramp leading onto northbound Highway 101, according to Caltrans.
Drivers will be continue north on Fulton Road to the on-ramp from Airport Boulevard.
Funding includes $26 million from a transportation bond approved statewide by voters in 2006 as well as $29 million from Measure M approved by Sonoma County voters in 2004.
Work on the project started in January when workers removed about 700 trees and bushes in areas surrounding the overpass in preparation for construction.
New trees will eventually be planted to replace the ones removed, including 200 trees surrounding the interchange.
In addition, workers will plant 700 willows along Mark West Creek as well as 1,000 willows and 260 other trees at the Sonoma County Agriculture Preservation and Open Space District's Cresta ranch.
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