Federal bill aims to save North Bay highway from sinking

A Caltrans crew surveys the flooded westbound lanes of Highway 37, after a levee break in February. (Craig Miller/KQED)

A federal bill announced Tuesday would provide funding to help rebuild a North Bay highway often affected by flooding and traffic congestion.

The bill, from North Bay Congressman John Garamendi, would provide $2 billion annually for five years toward highway, railway and bridge projects nationwide.

Garamendi said one of those projects would include steps toward raising and improving state Highway 37, which connects Marin and Solano counties. The highway sits just above sea level, which makes it prone to frequent flooding during high tides and storms.

"This is not a highway project, this is a wetlands restoration project and there's a highway. And that idea is embedded in this act," Garamendi said. "We know that we have to care for the environment, we know we have to have transportation, and we can do both, and this is going to be the model."

Caltrans predicts Highway 37 could be permanently submerged as soon as 2040, without changes.

Listen to the story at KQED: https://omny.fm/shows/kqed-segmented-audio/kqed-newscast-31c82896-e6e7-4b07-aaf0-caa3866720ae?in_playlist=kqed-newscast