Golden Gate Bridge Traffic Could Snarl During Days Of Roadwork

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Drivers crossing the Golden Gate Bridge could face delays next week as crews close two lanes for several hours each day to complete roadway repairs, officials said .

Two southbound lanes will close from around 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, according to the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.

Crews will perform pothole and asphalt repairs during the closures. Two lanes will remain open in each direction, but officials warned drivers to expect slower traffic around the work zones.

Crews expect to finish by 2 p.m. each day, when the bridge will return to three southbound and three northbound lanes.

The maintenance comes as the Golden Gate Bridge prepares for a much larger construction undertaking.

Additional midday maintenance closures are scheduled for Sept. 7-10, Oct. 5-8 and Nov. 2-5.

Officials said traffic and weather conditions will be monitored before each closure, and work could be rescheduled if necessary.

The midday lane closures scheduled for next week are for pothole and asphalt repairs, and not the intensive seismic retrofit planned to help the bridge withstand a major Bay Area earthquake and remain operational as a lifeline structure. That project is expected to take around a decade and cost nearly $1.8 billion.

Plans for the seismic work include installing 40-foot-tall steel plates to reinforce the bases of both towers, adding 38 massive shock absorbers and strengthening the steel lattice system supporting the suspension span.

The goal is for the bridge to reopen to emergency vehicles within 24 hours and to the general public within 72 hours following a major earthquake.