River Road drivers in west county will see two-way traffic again — for a few days. Then the cones and stoplights come back.
Caltrans says it’s wrapping up the emergency slide repair just west of Guerneville and will pull the one-way traffic control there in the second week of August. That means, for the first time in seven months, you’ll be able to drive the whole stretch without sitting at a signal. Enjoy it while you can — the break will be short.
On Monday, Aug. 18, crews start staging for another yearlong project a couple miles west, just east of Cnopius Road in Monte Rio. This one isn’t an emergency patch — it’s been on Caltrans’ books for years. “With steep hills, and heavy winter rains, this area of SR-116 is especially prone to landslide,” the agency’s project page says. The plan is to build a permanent retaining wall and replace a battered culvert so water drains properly and the hillside stays put…