Olive Avenue in Novato Receives Substantial Upgrades

NOVATO, CA -- The Marin County Department of Public Works has completed improvements to a half-mile leg of Olive Avenue that connects downtown Novato to Highway 37, the County of Marin confirmed Nov. 30.

The 2,700-foot portion of road from the county line to Atherton Avenue, which is a popular route for cars and bicycles, and has been in need of upgrades for a while. The $496,495 undertaking was funded by a one-time project reserve from Marin County’s general monetary fund.

Construction, which began Aug. 29 and was completed Nov. 15, was handled by Petaluma-based engineering contractor Team Ghilotti Inc. As part of the improvements, the entire section of Olive Avenue now has 4-foot-wide bike lanes on both sides of the two-lane road. Prior to the project, the road didn't have a formal bike lane, despite being a regular route for cyclists. Also, a new retaining wall was installed to accommodate the pavement widening and improve line-of-sight vision where the road curves at Club Drive.

In addition to the bike lanes and retaining wall, the half-mile length of road was resurfaced and drainage was improved at key points. Traffic striping and pavement markings were implemented to increase safety through the area.

The City of Novato recently completed a similar bike lane project within its city limits on an adjacent section of Olive Avenue.

“The combination of these projects marks a significant gap closure in the greater bike lane network of Marin,” Department of Public Works Associate Civil Engineer Eric Miller said. “These improvements add a new level of safety for all travelers along this stretch of road.”

Images courtesy County of Marin