A bill aiming to relieve environmental constraints to speed up a project on Highway 37 is awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. … The law would enable project planners to secure “incidental take” permits from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. … The protected species in question include the salt marsh harvest mouse, the California Ridgway’s rail, the California black rail and the white-tailed kite. … The project will replace the Tolay Creek Bridge, east of the Highway 37 and Highway 121 interchange, and extend an eastbound merge lane for a mile. The project also will restore a 3.5-mile section of degraded tidal salt marsh called Strip Marsh East to help protect against sea-level rise and flooding while creating habitat.