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Highway 101 Project Expected To Ease Peninsula Commute

MENLO PARK (KCBS) – Ground has been broken on a major project on Highway 101 in San Mateo County, which will bring some much needed traffic congestion relief to Peninsula commuters.

Caltrans, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission have broken ground on the next auxiliary lane to be built on Highway 101, from Marsh Road to University Avenue.

KCBS' Margie Shafer Reports:

"Today, we're taking one small step to reduce congestion on Highway 101," said San Mateo County Transportation Authority Chair Rosanne Foust. "But it's another larger step towards our goal of a better life and a better transportation system here in our community."

The majority of the project is being funded by a voter-approved transportation bond. Caltrans Director Bijan Sartipi said the corridor is the backbone of the Peninsula, traveled by more than 190,000 cars per day.

"When all the auxiliary lanes are finished, we expect a reduction of peak travel time by about nine minutes," said Sartipi.

The project is expected to be completed by next summer.

Additional auxiliary lanes are planned from University Avenue to Embarcadero and Embarcadero to Highway 85.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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