The last San Francisco exit when approaching the Bay Bridge is closing for the weekend as part of Caltrans’ ongoing rehabilitation of crucial viaducts near downtown, where Interstate 80 intersects with Highway 101.
From late Friday, April 10, through early Monday, April 13, drivers on eastbound I-80 attempting to enter the SoMa neighborhood from the freeway will only have the Seventh Street exit. Caltrans is closing the Fourth Street offramp, dubbed the “last SF exit” on the nearby highway sign.
If drivers miss the earlier exit, Caltrans advises them to drive onto Yerba Buena Island to boomerang back to reach SoMa via the Fifth Street offramp on westbound 80.
“It is standard Caltrans practice to show detour routes after the closed exit to assist motorists who missed the advance signs,” Caltrans spokesperson Lori Shepherd told SFGATE in email. “The next exit for the 4th Street exit is some distance away on Yerba Buena Island.”
The weekend closure will be disruptive for motorists driving in and around the work area, and Caltrans is urging motorists to drive cautiously and consider public transportation. Caltrans encourages motorists who must drive to use the detour map.
Caltrans started the two-year process to rehabilitate the 71-year-old viaducts in January. The closures this month address the I-80 Bayshore Freeway viaducts. Work on the Central Freeway viaducts is expected to begin in November.
Crews are placing polyester overlays and joints on the viaducts while repairing barrier rails and the bridge’s deck. Caltrans is instituting a series of closures this month to address maintenance. The agency is also prepping for a second closure during the following weekend, from April 17 through the 20. Caltrans plans to close a section of eastbound I-80 between 17th Street and Fourth Street for 55 hours, opening a detour on Bryant Street.
The maintenance continues Caltrans’ focus on safeguarding these active viaducts that run through San Francisco. Several years ago, Caltrans repainted the steel beneath the viaducts with a vivid blue color that has an unofficial tie to a nearby sports dynasty. Shepherd said the coating protects the steel by using a formula to prevent fading. Not only is the paint the same blue that’s seen on the Coronado Bridge in San Diego and other bridges in California, it’s a subtle complement to the Golden State Warriors who play close by.
“Coincidentally, the Warriors moved into the Chase for the 2019/2020 season,” Shepherd said. “And the blue pretty much matched the Warriors colors [when] the project started in 2020.”