It's Open - Get Riding! Bo-Fax Open Once More!

West Marin Road Rebuilt After Mudslides

Eight-mile Fairfax-Bolinas Road project Now Completed!

An eight-mile section of Fairfax-Bolinas Road officially reopened on November 18, after undergoing extensive repairs and safety improvements by Marin County Department of Public Works. The stretch of road between Ridgecrest and the Meadow Club in Fairfax, a key artery for many West Marin residents and a famous cycling route, has been closed since March 2016 because of heavy mudslide damage.

The March storms rendered the hilly, two-lane road unsafe and required an extensive design process to determine the appropriate repairs. The presence of northern spotted owl nests in the vicinity further complicated the project by delaying the commencement of repair work until after the end of the owl’s nesting season in September.

Geotechnical experts and engineers determined the causes of the mudslides and developed the stabilization measures needed to prevent future slides along the stretch of road. The Marin County Board of Supervisors awarded the $305,692 construction contract to Engineered Soil Repairs of Walnut Creek and the project was completed on budget.

Crews built two new retaining walls and lengthened an existing wall by 28 feet. The walls were constructed with special anchors to provide support against the steep slope along the edge of the road. The new areas in front of the retaining walls have been paved.

Finished just in time for rainy season, these improvements to the Fairfax-Bolinas Road have created a safer route for Marin’s drivers and cyclists.

“After several months of construction in this remote area of the county, we are eager to re-open the road and re-establish access to Cataract Falls and the West Marin Coast,” said Ernest Klock, DPW Principal Civil Engineer.

We’ve already heard positive reports many happy cyclists who first got word through the MCBC twitter and Facebook feeds.