Southbound 101 traffic now gets on the new connector towards I-580 east and the Richmond San Rafael Bridge. Caltrans says the new flyover will reduce the congestion from approximately 150,000 vehicles that pass through there daily Monday through Friday.
This allows Caltrains to widen Highway 101, which is scheduled to be finished by December. If you are coming from Marin County heading towards the East Bay, you will get a temporary change. The merge to the eastbound I-580 connector will pop up about 1,500 feet sooner than it used to.
"The merge from Central San Rafael to southbound 101 is a little shorter than it used to be. Until people get used to the new configuration, they may be having a little bit of a tough time negotiating it. Overall, since we've open the new connector, traffic is moving very smoothly," says a Caltrans engineer Jeff Kress.
On Sunday morning, Caltrans opened up southbound 101 at 7:00 a.m. and the connector at 11:00 a.m. and they did it after shutting down late Saturday for the transition phase.
Caltrans says you should see a significant difference and it does make easier access into the local businesses.
