The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has recently approved the immediate commencement of construction to address the urgent repair of six critical road segments that suffered damage due to the harsh winter storms. These roads include Westside Road, Cavedale Road, West Soda Rock Lane, Wohler Road, and Giovanetti Road, which are key for local travel and emergency services, according to Sonoma County's website.

Their swift decision will expedite the contract process, allowing the Department of Public Infrastructure to bypass returning to the board for each contract award. According to Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, this approach aims to trim the construction calendar by six to eight weeks, which is a boon for the initiative. Lynda conveyed, per Sonoma County, “Time is of the essence for these projects,” as she stressed the importance of quick repair for emergency access in the county, she emphasized, “We need to quickly repair these roads, which are critical for accessing large areas of the county, including for evacuation and emergency response purposes.” The funding for these repairs, rounding up to about $5.5 million, will be sourced from the Tobacco Securitization fund designated for capital projects.

This fast-tracked construction addresses not only the general damage but also emphasizes the dire state of Westside Road, where the Road Commissioner is also authorized to take emergency actions due somewhat to the concurrent closure of both Westside Road and Wohler Bridge, which raised significant public safety concerns. The earmarked repair budgets for the roads stand at $1.5 million for Westside Road, $1 million each for both Cavedale Road Site 2 and West Soda Rock Lane, $1 million for Wohler Road, and $500,000 each for Cavedale Road Site 3 and Giovanetti Road.