Dick Spotswood: San Rafael freeway-connector plan is on right track

This well-designed southeastern San Rafael 580 connector will attract bridge-bound traffic, freeing up present demand to use Sir Francis Drake to access the Richmond bridge to Contra Costa County.

While world and national affairs simmer, let’s shift to positive local developments. Real improvements have been drafted to address an irritant that those who live and work in Marin have long endured. That’s the connection between the North Bay’s principal artery, Highway 101, Bellam Boulevard serving southeast San Rafael and Interstate 580 leading to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

The Transportation Authority of Marin, along with Caltrans, has finalized two alternatives that will make major changes. The goal is minimizing the interchange’s pollution-generating congestion and delays during the evening peak period commute.

In pursuing its 101-580 multi-modal and local access improvement project, TAM has now finalized two alternatives. Both represent vast improvements.

I reviewed the plans with TAM Executive Director Anne Richman and her staff.  They explained that while the alternatives take slightly different routes, each “fly over” the Bellam Boulevard intersection. That will take cars, buses and trucks directly from northbound 101 to 580, entirely bypassing the Bellam traffic signals.

Today’s Bellam configuration causes today’s freeway backup, encouraging motorists to use the Sir Francis Drake Boulevard interchange and its westbound connector to the Richmond Bridge. The two traffic congestion points are a nightmare at certain parts of the day. The backup can also delay those headed north to Novato and Sonoma through Corte Madera, Larkspur and south San Rafael.

Under both alternatives, local traffic will still exit Highway 101 for Bellam. Readers may be surprised to learn that of vehicles now taking the existing 101-Bellam exit, 95% are headed to San Rafael’s Bellam Boulevard. That includes residents in the Canal and Spinnaker Point neighborhoods, the city’s industrial district and Andersen Drive. Richman says, “Only 5% are going to the Richmond Bridge.”

Whether alternative 2 or 3A is implemented, traffic for San Rafael streets will be separated by the flyover from cars connecting with 580.

This well-designed southeastern San Rafael 580 connector will attract bridge-bound traffic, freeing up present demand to use Sir Francis Drake to access the Richmond bridge to Contra Costa County.

Alternative 2, which runs along Simms Street behind the U.S. Post Office, has an estimated cost of approximately $250 million plus inflation. It has a design speed of 45 mph. Alternative 3A, which makes a tighter right turn but takes less land, will roughly cost $200 million, plus inflation. It would have a design speed of 35 mph.

Most, but not all, of the funding has been secured. A major part of the dollars come from Marin’s share of Caltrans’ bridges toll revenue generated by Bay Area Regional Measure 3 and Marin’s local transportation tax Measure AA.

That is the good news. The not-so-good report is that the connector project won’t be completed until 2033 or at the most optimistic, 2032.

This is another example of the time it takes to build public infrastructure in the United States. The delay can’t be blamed on TAM. Every public project must satisfy well-intended but often redundant state requirements that were not required when the Golden Gate Bridge was planned and constructed.

This delay stems from a mandated environmental review that will take three years. That’s followed by years to formulate detailed construction drawings, a process that’ll include traffic modeling. When that paperwork is in the drawer, only then, will construction commence. Building the roadway flyover takes the least time among all the steps necessary to move this first-rate plan to a functioning reality.

In the interim, TAM is pursuing a short-term project, Alternative 7. At a cost of $9.2 million, it will improve the existing eastbound exiting lanes onto Bellam. The right-turn lane will be enlarged and bike and pedestrian infrastructure improvements made along Bellam.

Columnist Dick Spotswood of Mill Valley writes on local issues Sundays and Wednesdays. Email him at spotswood@comcast.net.