Weekend closures ahead for 101 in Redwood City

QI heard closures are ahead on Highway 101 in Redwood City. What's going on?

– Anonymous

ATwo 55-hour weekend closures are ahead for Highway 101 in Redwood City to replace the Cordilleras Creek Bridge between Whipple Avenue and Brittan Avenue.

Southbound 101 will be closed here from Sept. 29Oct. 2. Northbound 101 will be closed from Oct. 13-16. Closures start at 10 p.m. Friday night and extend until 5 a.m. Monday morning. Detours will be in effect during the closures.

To maintain a safe creek habitat with this project, work must be done from June through October. Caltrans is using an accelerated bridge construction (ABC) process to complete the work within one summer/fall season, instead of spreading it over 3 years.

QCould automated vehicle companies hire taxi drivers to sit behind the wheel of their cars for an eight-hour shift each day?

They could be locked out of controlling the car until there was an emergency. With a signal from Waymo or Cruise, the controls would revert to the driver to move the car.

This would save time and frustration when these cars stop in the road, or pull to the side and stop.

What say you?

– Louis. S., San Jose

AThey could do this, but I doubt if they would do this for each car. Related to your idea, though, perhaps they could strategically locate people who move in to solve problems in hightraffic areas, at least until these problems occur less often.

Does anyone know what they do now to get traffic moving as fast as possible after one of their cars has stopped?

QI noticed the past stories that you ran earlier in September. I want to remind you of one other one.

You may recall your “Dream Driver” contest in December 2008.

I nominated my former husband, Gary. I cited many examples of why he should be chosen as your Dream Driver. I believe you thought this was a bit odd, the former wife nominating the ex! You requested additional information, which I provided, concerning his driving skills, and how we still got along.

On Dec. 15, 2008, I received an email from you: “Patricia, we have a winner and it is Gary!!!” I was ecstatic!

Mr. Roadshow, it was quite a day. You, your photographer, my son, Blake and I all surprised Gary at his front door, explaining his new honor. A picture ran on the front page of the Mercury News on Jan. 10, 2009.

I hope you enjoy this memory as much as we all do. — The Edwards Gang, Patty, Gary, Blake

AThanks for the reminder. That was a fun story, and he deserved the Dream Driver honor.