Santa Rosa Avenue upgrades set to get underway south of downtown

Drivers along a prominent stretch of Santa Rosa Avenue south of downtown should expect to see reduced lanes of traffic and other temporary traffic impacts as work to overhaul the roadway begins in earnest in the next several weeks.

Traffic lanes in both directions has been reduced to a single lane as construction crews conduct work along sidewalks and begin underground work in the roadway.

The road upgrades, estimated to cost $2.2 million, call for reducing lanes of traffic between Sonoma and Maple avenues from four lanes to two lanes and adding a center-turn lane to improve traffic flow. The city will install new bike lanes to help close gaps in the bike network along Santa Rosa Avenue and new pedestrian crossings to improve bike and pedestrian safety.

Once the underground work is complete, construction workers will begin work on the new median islands, likely in October.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.