19th Avenue Closure: What to Know About Travel Through San Francisco This Weekend

On the heels of last weekend’s closure of nearly two miles of Eastbound Interstate 80 in San Francisco, another major thoroughfare will partially close to traffic this weekend on the west side of the city.

From Friday to Monday, Caltrans will close two lanes of northbound 19th Avenue between Sloat Boulevard and Lincoln Way for roughly six lane miles of repaving work. The artery doubles as State Highway 1 and is a primary way for drivers to access the Golden Gate Bridge from the south.

Keep reading for what to know about the 19th Avenue closure and how it could affect your weekend.

What part of 19th Avenue will be closed this weekend?

Matt O’Donnell, a spokesperson for Caltrans, said crews will start at Sloat Boulevard, by Stonestown Galleria, on Friday and work their way north up 19th Avenue towards Golden Gate Park.

“ We are encouraging people that aren’t residents or business owners to try to use alternate routes, and if they’re coming from Marin County or San Mateo County, try to stay out of the area as much as possible,” O’Donnell said.

One lane will remain open on 19th Avenue for public transit, emergency responders and local access. Parking on 19th Avenue will also be restricted in work zones.

“ There’s been a lot of outreach. This is a really major corridor,” O’Donnell said, adding that Caltrans has canvassed the area to alert residents and businesses of the upcoming work.

When exactly will the 19th Avenue closure start and end?

This weekend’s closure will start at 7 a.m. Friday, April 24, and end at 5:00 a.m. Monday, April 27.

What detours and alternative routes are recommended during the 19th Avenue closure?

Caltrans is urging motorists traveling through the area to detour west to Sunset Boulevard, also known as the Sunset Parkway, and rejoin 19th Avenue/State Highway 1 at Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Golden Gate Park.

Caltrans said the work is needed to improve driver safety, upgrade facilities to the Americans with Disabilities Act standards and extend the life of the existing pavement.

Will this 19th Avenue closure end this weekend?

No: This weekend’s work is the first of three planned weekend closures on 19th Avenue over roughly the next month. Additional closures are planned for the weekend of Friday, May 8, and Memorial Day weekend.

When completed, Caltrans said it will have repaved more than 18 lane miles of 19th Avenue, stretching from Lincoln Way to Holloway Avenue, by San Francisco State University.

Will public transit be affected by the 19th Avenue closure?

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Director Julie Kirschbaum said the agency worked with Caltrans to schedule the work over three long weekends, dramatically shortening the timeline for completion from an estimated 40 days to nine.

During the repaving work, the SFMTA is adjusting stops for the 28, 28R, 48, 66, and 91 Muni routes and said the 7, 29, L-Owl, N-Owl, N Bus, L Taraval, and N Judah may experience delays.

Kirschbaum said she expects travel to be slow on the corridor during construction.

“This is a major construction project, and it will inconvenience people who travel on 19th Avenue,” Kirschbaum said. “We know Muni riders and drivers will appreciate the smooth ride they’ll experience after the repaving work is done.”

The 19th Avenue repaving project is part of Caltrans’ “Fab 4 Rehab,” four major road rehabilitation projects in San Francisco County that are planned or currently underway.

Despite concerns about last weekend’s closure of Eastbound I-80 causing a traffic “carmaggedon,” O’Donnell said, “ we had so much media out there that people did really stay away,” an outcome the agency is hoping to replicate this weekend.

BART said ridership surged 46% during the I-80 closure compared with the previous weekend, which the agency attributed to drivers heeding warnings to avoid the area and take public transit instead.

“We’re hoping that people understand the message and will drive accordingly,” O’Donnell said.

Will the Golden Gate Bridge be affected by the 19th Avenue closure?

The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District said it does not anticipate major traffic impacts due to the closure, but said it will be ready to respond if the need arises.

“Our staff will be monitoring traffic over the weekend and, if backups arise, will reconfigure traffic lanes using the moveable median barrier to improve traffic flow,” said Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz, director of public affairs for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.