North Bay commuters’ daily dredge to and from work got a jolt of energy recently when first the new southbound lane of the Novato Narrows opened Sept. 24, followed by a Sept. 29 opening of the northbound lane. For the first time, three lanes both ways ferry drivers from the San Marin/Atherton exit in Novato to north of San Antonio Road near Petaluma, a 16-mile stretch known for decades as the Novato Narrows—where four lanes dropped quickly to two, creating daily bottlenecks and no shortage of stop-and-go drive time for area commuters.
The $762 million Marin-Sonoma Narrows widening project has been in various stages of construction for 14 years. While lanes are open to traffic, a final phase of the project is still underway for additional paving, striping and signage, including some overnight closures of northbound Highway 101 to allow for the work…