Marin congressman tours Bolinas Road storm damage
Local and county leaders joined U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman on a tour this week of a rural road ravaged by winter storms.
Several parts of Bolinas Road damaged during last year’s winter storms will require an estimated $30.29 million to repair along a 6.5-mile stretch of the country road.
“You add up the critical infrastructure, the high recreational traffic demand, the local community — what a vital lifeline this is,” Huffman said on Wednesday. “This is more than just another road fix.”
Fairfax, Marin County and Marin Municipal Water District officials plan to jointly apply for a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help repair Bolinas Road.
“We will lean in and urge the agencies to fund it,” Huffman said of the grant application.
Stretching 14.6 miles across West Marin from Fairfax to the coast, Bolinas Road offers access to destinations such as the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Stinson Beach, and Mount Tamalpais State Park.
Mudslides frequently compromise the road during winter storms. In the winter of 2022–23 alone, there were nine landslides on Bolinas Road, according to a county report.
Fairfax Town Councilmember Chance Cutrano recalled when a storm last year caused a one-lane closure on Bolinas Road, which made travel challenging for neighbors and MMWD staff.
“To have this roadway constantly being degraded and at risk of going down to one lane or no lane or having interruptions like that — we can’t sit by and let that continue to happen,” he said. “We have to come up with a plan to address it.”
Huffman’s tour included Alpine Dam. Bolinas Road plays a critical role for first responders during emergencies, and for Marin Municipal Water District staff trying to access the dam. Nearby, a short section of road that cracked during a slow-moving landslide five years ago was visible.
During a January 2023 storm, a mudslide damaged segments of Bolinas Road between Sky Oaks Road and downtown Fairfax. The county and Fairfax town officials spent $500,000 for emergency repairs.
More than $7.8 million in Federal Highway Administration funds was also secured for six renovation projects along the road. The county plans to complete four retaining wall projects in the area by the end of the year. Two projects were completed last year; the remaining projects are in the design stage.
One completed project is a 100-foot-long wall as well as 2 feet of road widening and 2 feet of new shoulder at milepost 1.16. A new guardrail will be installed there next month, said Julian Kaelon, spokesperson for the county public works department.
Another finished project is at milepost 1.34, east of Sky Oaks Road, where a 180-foot-long wall with 2 feet of road widening and 2 feet of new shoulder were constructed.
The group stopped at the site and walked above the wall that was built last summer. Down the road is the aftermath of a landslide that is on a steep slope below the shoulder of the road.
Rachel Calvert, a county senior civil engineer, said that particular site’s damages do not threaten the road’s lanes. The county is including the site in its road repair project.
Overall, the county needs the estimated $30.29 million to repair three landslide locations, an assessment study of the entire Bolinas Road corridor to find more vulnerable areas, and the installation of 4,200 linear feet of retaining walls.
“We’re looking at all avenues and all pathways for funding, whether it’s the RAISE grant or other funding sources,” Marin County Supervisor Katie Rice said.
Of the $30.29 million needed to repair Bolinas Road, $26.81 million is set for construction and the remaining costs are for expenses such as conducting project studies and project designs, according to a county report.
If funding is secured, preliminary engineering will be performed this summer. Construction could begin in spring 2027.
“We will continue seeking money until we get it, we’re just continuing this push because this is an incredibly critical road,” County Public Works Director Rosemarie Gaglione said.
By: Cameron MacDonald
Source: Marin Independent Journal
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