I-80 Weekend Closure: What to Know About August Travel Over the Carquinez Bridge
The Carquinez Bridge, which connects Vallejo in Solano County to Crockett in Contra Costa County via Interstate 80, is scheduled for closures for maintenance work this month — on two separate August weekends.
And this will impact anyone hoping to travel between the East Bay and places like Napa, Sonoma, Sacramento and the Lake Tahoe region, as well as weekend commuters.
Caltrans told KQED that it’s investing approximately $1.4 million into rehabilitating the suspension bridge that carries traffic along westbound I-80 — also known as the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge — in the direction of Crockett.
- Jump straight to: What detour should I use during the full closure later this month?
August’s work will take place in two separate phases: first, closing one lane on westbound I-80 on Friday and Saturday this coming weekend, followed by a major closure of all of westbound I-80 over the bridge Aug. 21-24.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles cross the Carquinez Bridge each day, making it one of the Bay Area’s key traffic connectors. Keep reading to learn more about these upcoming closures, what options you have for detours while maintenance work gets underway and why this work is being done now.
When will the Carquinez Bridge have closures this month?
The Carquinez Bridge is made up of two separate bridges: a cantilever bridge carrying traffic north to Vallejo on eastbound I-80 and the suspension bridge going south to Crockett (westbound I-80), known as the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge.
It’s important to clarify that planned maintenance work will only impact the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge — the one of the two spans that more resembles the Golden Gate Bridge — on I-80 west. Traffic coming from Contra Costa County going north to Vallejo on 1-80 east will not be affected by either closure.
But during the full bridge closure later this month, any drivers trying to drive into the East Bay along I-80 from places like Napa, Sonoma, Fairfield, Vacaville or Sacramento — or returning home from the Sierra Nevada — should plan to take a detour (more below).
A closer look at each closure:
Minor: The one-lane closure this weekend
On Friday, Aug. 7, crews will close one lane of westbound I-80 over the suspension bridge at 6 p.m. and reopen the next day, Saturday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m.
Cars can still get through the bridge but should expect more traffic.
During this 25-hour partial closure, work crews will be testing out a new kind of asphalt they plan to repave the entire bridge with during the second phase of work.
Major: The full closure coming later this month
On Friday, Aug. 21 at 10 p.m., Caltrans plans to completely close westbound I-80 on the Carquinez Bridge — for the entire weekend.
The bridge will reopen on Monday, Aug. 24 at 3 a.m.
During the 53-hour closure, no traffic will be able to move through the bridge, including pedestrians and cyclists.
These closures are necessary to make sure the bridge gets the maintenance it needs, said Sabrina Martinez, Caltrans’ public information officer for Solano County. “The asphalt that’s on it right now is good for 20 years, and we’re reaching that age,” she said. “It’s showing signs of wear and tear. This is a preventative work that we’re doing.”
Remember: You’ll still be able to use the other span of the Carquinez Bridge to take eastbound I-80 in the direction of Sacramento while the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge is closed.
On the Vallejo side approaching the bridge, Caltrans will also block off the northern segment of westbound I-80 that weekend, going all the way back to I-780. The westbound I-80 on-ramps in Vallejo on the following streets will be closed off during this maintenance work:
- Sonoma Boulevard
- Sequoia Avenue
- Magazine Street
- Lincoln Road West
“Caltrans maintenance will take advantage of the closure and go on the [I-80] freeway and do any maintenance work that they have scheduled,” Martinez said.
What alternative routes are recommended during the Carquinez Bridge closures?
During the smaller Aug. 7-8 closure this weekend, Martinez said drivers should still be able to make it through the bridge. “They just need to expect delays,” she added.
But drivers should plan a bigger reroute for the bigger Aug. 21-24 closure. For westbound I-80 drivers coming from Solano County, one available option would be:
- At exit 30A signposted Benicia/Martinez, take the eastbound I-780 toward the Benicia-Martinez Bridge;
- Stay on I-780 — which becomes I-680 — across the channel over to Benicia
- Take exit 53 onto westbound State Route 4 to Hercules;
- Then, take exit 1B to switch back to westbound I-80.
Another option that could be more practical for drivers heading to San Francisco is to take State Route 37 to Novato and transfer to Highway 101 to cross the Golden Gate Bridge.
And if you’re in the Sacramento area and are used to taking I-80 to cross the Carquinez Bridge, switch over to I-680 in Cordelia to get to the Benicia-Martinez Bridge instead.
What public transit options are available during the Carquinez Bridge closures?
Caltrans is encouraging commuters in the Vallejo area to consider taking the Vallejo-San Francisco ferry during the full Aug. 21-24 closure. On weekdays, there are 13 ferries scheduled to leave from Vallejo’s ferry terminal to San Francisco, and 8 on weekends. It takes an hour to get to San Francisco’s Ferry Building.
SolTrans has two bus routes that cross Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge: the 60 line that connects Fairfield to Richmond; and the 82 line that connects Fairfield to San Francisco.
Caltrans expects these routes to be diverted during the closure starting Friday, Aug. 21. KQED has reached out to SolTrans for details on these reroutes.
Alternatively, 60 and 82 bus riders can take these routes to the Vallejo Transit Center, transfer to the 70 bus that goes all the way to the Concord BART station and then take BART to their desired destination.
Why are there two separate Carquinez Bridge closures planned — and why can’t they just be done at night?
For this maintenance project, Caltrans will be using a type of asphalt concrete sourced from the largest deposit of natural asphalt in the world: Pitch Lake in Trinidad and Tobago.
Martinez said this asphalt is known to be durable and good for waterproofing. But crews first need to test the asphalt mix and will be running a test strip on the bridge during this week’s partial closure.
The second, longer closure will begin with crews removing the old asphalt on the night of Friday, Aug. 21. The new asphalt can only be applied when temperatures are 70 degrees or higher, Martinez added.
“During the day, once temperature hits, crews can drop down the new asphalt and let it cure for the weekend,” she said.
As for why these closures are happening during daytime hours, the asphalt that Caltrans is using to repave the bridge can only be applied when it’s warmer than 70 degrees. Crews expect warmer weather during the daytime, Martinez said.
If the weather is not warm enough during the Aug. 21-24 weekend, Martinez added, “we do have a contingency plan in place.” Maintenance work would be moved to a later date, she said — most likely the following weekend.