Another Highway 12 southbound detour: July 9

On Thursday, July 9, southbound traffic on Highway 12 will be detoured onto Madrone Road, Arnold Drive, and Verano Avenue from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

This is the second of two detours that will allow PG&E to complete an essential tie-in of their gas transmission lines for the Highway 12 Improvement Project.

There will be access to homes and businesses throughout the detour.

“The first detour went very smoothly. This second detour will follow the same route and timeline as last time,” said Sonoma County Board of Supervisor Susan Gorin. “This tie-in marks the end of a major portion of PG&E’s work on the road.”

Signals on Arnold Drive will be adjusted to improve traffic flow, however motorists should expect delays between 15 and 30 minutes.

There will be flaggers at each intersection of the detour. At 8 pm the detour will end, and traffic controls will resume the current practices of alternating traffic with one way lane closures.

On June 22 PG&E successfully tied in transmission lines on Highway 12 near Sunnyside Road, on July 9 the tie-in will take place near Fetters Creek. Many utilities, such as PG&E, have utility lines that run under Highway 12. To make room for structural improvements to the road, some utilities have to be relocated.

PG&E requires a continuous 22-hour work period to complete the tie-in. To accommodate the long work shift and provide the best option for motorists, the combination of a daytime southbound detour and nighttime alternating traffic was selected.

This final tie-in of the PG&E transmission lines is a key milestone in the Highway 12 Improvement Project, which will bring pedestrian and bicycle facilities, roadway widening, asphalt pavement replacement, installation of curbs, gutters and sidewalks, and many more upgrades to Highway 12 between Agua Caliente Road and Boyes Boulevard in the Springs Area of Sonoma Valley.