Drivers Face Doherty Detour Starting Tuesday

For weeks drivers have been preparing and worrying about the major phase of construction that will shut down Doherty Drive. Bright banners on Magnolia Avenue, Tamal Vista Boulevard, even near the Bon Air Bridge have warned residents of the project which starts Tuesday.

Phase II begins Tuesday and will shut down traffic on Doherty Drive between the Doherty Drive Bridge and Lucky Drive through November 30. The construction isn't expected to block access to Piper Park.

The first phase of the construction — between Magnolia Avenue and Larkspur Plaza Drive — recently wrapped up ahead of schedule.

The improvement project will repair the potholes in Doherty Drive and bolster and raise the level of the road bed "to minimize winter flooding and improve the street drainage system." The plan also calls for new pedestrian walkways. The Doherty Drive Bridge is expected to be replaced as part of a separate project in 2014.

“We realize back-to-school is a tough time of year to have a road closure, yet our schedule must accommodate the nesting cycles of the endangered California Clapper Rail, a rare bird that is important our community’s ecosystem,“ said Hamid Shamsapour, Director of Larkspur’s Public Works Department. “We will work quickly and efficiently in order to minimize any inconvenience and impact on both people and the environment.”

Larkspur City and Redwood school officials hope students will discover the bicycle and walking paths around the area.

"I'm hoping people will take this chance to make some life-long health changes," Shamsapour said. "This is a good opportunity for people to get out of their cars."

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