Temporary Stop Signs Planned For Muir Woods Road

MARIN COUNTY, CA – Two temporary stop signs will be installed this month on busy Muir Woods Road, the Marin County Department of Public Works announced Wednesday. The stop signs are needed because the road has eroded and narrowed one of the lanes.

By mid-February, the signs will be placed at a 150-foot section of alternating one-way, single-lane roadway about a mile northeast of an existing stop sign near Santos Meadow where traffic is also controlled by a one-way, one-lane section.

The 35-foot edge of Muir Woods Road near mile post 2.2 has eroded and narrowed one of the lanes, presenting a risk to motorists. The temporary stop signs will be in place until a $5.9 million rehabilitation of 2.4 miles of Muir Woods Road begins in the spring of 2020. A federal grant will cover $5.2 million of the project.

The project is slated to enhance safety measures, correct drainage problems, alleviate hillside erosion, and reduce water quality impacts to the nearby Redwood Creek. A public meeting on the project will be held this summer before the final design is submitted in the fall.

The Marin County Department of Public Works has identified two additional locations that need spot widening on the roadway shoulder to improve stability and passage. The first location is along a portion of road near Santos Meadow where the current stop sign controlled section is located, and the second site is about 200 feet north of the stop sign.

The planned improvements will widen the paved width of the road by about two feet, shift the centerline to allow for two full-sized lanes of traffic and improve sightlines for travelers. The improvements will take place between September and December this year.

Muir Woods Road is heavily traveled to the Muir Beach community and other populations in west Marin County.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors also is considering a resolution to prohibit vehicles longer than 30 feet on Muir Woods Road between the Muir Woods National Monument and Panoramic Highway. Drivers of vehicles over 30 feet are known to have trouble staying within their lanes along the road at several key stretches, especially at intense turns. The proposed 30-foot restriction would help prevent that issue and improve safety.

Muir Beach residents also are concerned about buses passing each other on narrow sections of Muir Woods and Franks Valley roads. In March, the Board of Supervisors will discuss a resolution that applies the 30-foot
restriction ordinance to that specific section of Muir Woods Road. If the restriction is approved, it would be implemented and signage would be installed after the planned road improvements are constructed this fall.

Image via County of Marin