The City of Cotati is holding a major construction project towards Old Redwood Highway through the Camino Colegio area, causing traffic delays during business hours.  

Ashley De La Cruz, a third-year student at Sonoma State, lives in the surrounding neighborhoods near Oliver’s Market. Although the road work has just begun for some residents, the construction project started in August for the L-section neighborhoods.

“I have mixed feelings about it, I’m very happy with the overall result and the improvements they’ve made, I just hated how inconvenient it was.”

The construction went on Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Residents were closed off to their neighborhood streets, and no cars were allowed to be left parked on the road, they had to be moved or parked in a driveway.  

“Part of me thinks they could’ve done it in a smarter manner or at least told us exactly which dates they’d be on our streets or the other streets specifically just because I would come home from work or school and have to walk far from my house.” 

Greyson Bautista, a student who commutes from Cotati to San Francisco State University, didn’t have much of a problem with the parking, but traffic was a difficulty for him.  

“It’s really hard to head to San Francisco anytime that the construction is going on, and it’s hard to gauge the traffic. Since it started I’ve left early but still gotten late to class because of the construction, but I also am really glad they’re improving the roads in the area.”

The City of Cotati alerted online in advisory to residents about the construction on E. Cotati Avenue through Old Redwood Highway on Monday, Sept. 30th.  

“E. Cotati Avenue is to be paved from Old Redwood Highway to the train tracks on Tues, Wed, and Thursday. One lane will be open in each direction during paving. Expect delays during peak traffic periods. Businesses will be open and accessible during paving.”

The construction was set to happen from October 1st through the 3rd in the advisory message, but it continued through Friday the 4th.  There has not been an updated advisory message.

Another third-year student, Tyree Hornbeck Jr., who lives off campus, was also experiencing difficulties with the traffic in the morning. 

“Usually there’s already traffic on the way to campus on E. Cotati, but with the construction I have to leave even earlier. It’s good that something’s being improved but I wish we knew how long the road work was going to last for.”