Traffic Controls on State Route 116 Bridges in Sonoma County To Replace Bridge Railings

Jones Creek and Blucher Creek bridges under one-way traffic control Closed center turn-lane on Gossage Creek Bridge

Sonoma County - Caltrans has begun work on a $4 million project to replace bridge railing on three bridges on State Route 116 in western Sonoma County.

This week, Caltrans implemented one-way traffic control on the Jones Creek and Blucher Creek Bridges. The center turn lane on the Gossage Creek Bridge was also closed while the bridge was restriped to allow working room for construction crews.

The one-way traffic control and the center lane closure will be in place until late October 2026, when permits allowing construction work adjacent to waterways expire.

The traffic controls will be implemented again in June 2027, when Caltrans is once again permitted to work alongside creeks during the dry season.

The bridge railings are old, weather-worn, and can withstand far less force than modern railings. They span creeks that run slowly in the summer and rapidly in the winter along a 14-mile section of Route 116 between Forestville and the outskirts of Cotati.

Although bridge railings look similar to guardrails, they differ in how they are secured.While guardrail posts can be driven into the soil and concreted in place, the posts of bridge railings cannot be sunk into the water of a creek. Instead, they must be embedded within the concrete of the road itself. Therefore, replacing them requires demolition of the better part of a traffic lane, which is why one-way traffic control is necessary to complete the work.

The Jones Creek Bridge was built in 1921 and rebuilt in 1956. It's likely the railings weren't replaced during the rebuild. The Gossage Creek Bridge was built in 1936, and the Blucher Creek Bridge in 1938. Both have railings as old as the bridges themselves.

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