Hwy 37 Flooding: Marin Co. Supes To Consider Assessment

MARIN COUNTY, CA – The Marin County Board of Supervisors Tuesday will discuss an assessment of flooding on state Highway 37 between U.S. Highway 101 and the Petaluma River.

The focused assessment this spring will recommend improvements that include resiliency to flooding along that stretch of the highway, owned and maintained by Caltrans. The highway, which flooded twice this year during rainstorms and was closed for a month in 2017, has a long track record of being under water from high tides, sea level rise and freshwater runoff.

The Board of Supervisors will vote whether to proceed with the study that cost $148,000. The Marin County Department of Public Works and the Transportation Authority of Marin have received a $130,170 planning grant from Caltrans, and the County of Marin, Flood Control District and the Transportation Authority of Marin will pay the remaining $17,830 for the study.

The assessment will cover a range of recent studies of the entire length of Highway 37 and of sea level rise studies conducted by local and state agencies. The assessment is not intended to implement physical improvements at this time along the highway corridor.

Some of the potential solutions include raising Highway 37, enhancing existing levees in the Novato area or a combination of solutions.

Any future comprehensive improvement project would be a massive undertaking, the Marin County Department of Public Works said.

"It's too early in the process to speculate on a potential timeline to complete appropriate and durable solutions," said Dan Dawson, Marin County Department of Public Works principal transportation planner.

The Department of Public Works has recommended the supervisors enter a contract with CSW/Stuber-Stroeh Engineering Group of Novato.

ALSO SEE:

• Marin Co. Fair Concerts: Dwight Yoakam; Cheap Trick; Joan Jett

• Need To Dump An Old Mattress? Here's Where In Marin County

--Bay City News