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<\/p>\nAnother closure starts Friday, Oct. 16. Here\u2019s what to know, including the recommended detours and which travelers will be most affected.\n<\/p>\n
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Directional sign for Highway 101 and Interstate 280 in San Francisco, California, Feb. 25, 2026. \u00a0(Smith Collection\/Gado via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
As if avoiding Fleet Week<\/a> traffic<\/a> wasn\u2019t bad enough this past weekend, there\u2019ll be another major weekend complication on the roads through San Francisco this coming weekend.<\/p>\n Over a mile of 101 near Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital will be fully closed \u2014 again \u2014 to all southbound traffic <\/a>starting the night of Friday, Oct. 16, and won\u2019t reopen until early morning on Monday, Oct. 19.\u00a0<\/p>\n These closures on what\u2019s known as the \u201cHospital Curve\u201d part of 101 will especially affect people driving from the East Bay or North Bay to the Peninsula and South Bay, and travelers trying to reach San Francisco International Airport by road.\u00a0<\/p>\n But they\u2019ll also impact people just wanting to travel through the city on those days \u2014 especially on Saturday, when the Golden State Valkyries will be playing in Game 1 of the WNBA finals<\/a> at Chase Center.<\/p>\n This is the third weekend closure in Caltrans\u2019 ongoing work on what the agency calls \u201cthe Fab 4\u201d: 101\u2019s Hospital Curve, I-280, the Central Freeway<\/a> and 19th Avenue. Caltrans\u2019 Bay Area public information officer Lori Shepherd said that drivers should know that these closures are going to cause \u201ca major, major impact,\u201d and that any travelers planning to drive in San Francisco during the closure should expect sizable delays getting through the city \u2014 not just around 101, but on surrounding streets and detours.<\/p>\n But if you really have to drive through San Francisco this weekend, what should you know about timing, detours and delays?\u00a0<\/p>\n Keep reading for what we know about navigating the upcoming 101 closure without having your weekend completely hijacked by traffic.<\/p>\n \nWhere and when will southbound 101 through San Francisco be closed?\n<\/p>\n All southbound lanes on 101 between Seventh and 17th streets will be closed to traffic \u2014 a 1.2-mile stretch of highway.<\/p>\n The closure starts at 11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16. All southbound lanes will reopen by 6 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 19.<\/p>\n Northbound 101 will remain open during the southbound closure, although one lane will be closed.<\/p>\n \nI really need to drive south through San Francisco during the closures. What detour should I take?\n<\/p>\n While these 101 southbound lanes are closed, Caltrans recommends that motorists use I-280 southbound<\/a> instead. So if you\u2019re using I-280 to get to or from Chase Center to watch the Valkyries play the Atlanta Dream on Saturday, be aware that these routes may have a lot more traffic due to the volume of drivers taking this detour.<\/p>\n \nIf you\u2019re already on 101 south through San Francisco:\n<\/p>\n Caltrans recommends that you travel south on either Van Ness Avenue or Guerrero Street to reach I-280 southbound. But if you miss your chance for those exits,<\/p>\n Take the Fourth Street exit and turn right onto Fourth StreetTurn right onto King StreetTake the southbound I-280 on-ramp.<\/p>\n \nIf you\u2019re coming from the Bay Bridge on I-80 west:\n<\/p>\n Take the Fifth Street exit and then:<\/p>\n Turn left onto Fifth StreetTurn right onto Brannan StreetTurn left onto Sixth StreetTake the southbound I-280 on-ramp.<\/p>\n But if you miss Fifth Street:<\/p>\n Take the Ninth Street Civic Center exit\u00a0Continue on Harrison StreetTurn left onto 10th StreetBear right onto Potrero AvenueContinue until you reach the southbound 101 on-ramp, after the closure.<\/p>\n See Caltrans\u2019 recommended detours in action:<\/p>\n \nWhat other parts of the city could be impacted by the closures?\n<\/p>\n Shepherd said the greatest traffic impacts from these closures could be felt around Cesar Chavez and 17th streets, as well as around Potrero Avenue \u2014 and also on entrances to I-280.<\/p>\n Caltrans is urging travelers wherever possible to take public <\/a>transportation <\/a>to travel through San Francisco during the highway closure, instead of using the roads.<\/p>\n It \u201creally remains the best option to bypass congestion and work zone delays \u2014 because there will be some major delays getting through the city,\u201d warned Shepherd. Delays from the closures could also have a knock-on effect on other routes through the city.<\/p>\n \nWhy can\u2019t these 101 closures just take place overnight instead?\n<\/p>\n Shepherd attributed the length of the multiple closures \u2014 one of which took place over the Labor Day weekend\u2014 to the sheer scope of the \u201c24-7\u201d repaving work being undertaken on 101 at this time.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a major, massive project, if you can imagine, repaving the freeway,\u201d she said, and Caltrans timed these closures \u201cto do it with the least amount of impact on the public,\u201d said Shepherd.<\/p>\n The concrete used in this kind of repaving work also needs the kind of dry conditions that fall in San Francisco brings. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of emphasis on getting work done \u2014 as much of it completed in the summer during the dry season as much as possible,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s difficult, yes, for the traveling public to have to find ways around,\u201d Shepherd said. \u201cBut in the end, it will produce long-term gains, because the road will be safer and smoother to drive [and] less prone to flooding.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/20260826_UCSFStudy_GC-10-KQED.jpg\")
The Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center on Aug. 26, 2026.\u00a0(Gina Castro for KQED)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Caltrans-Oct-16-closure-e742edc3-scaled.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
A map showing where southbound Highway 101 will be closed Oct. 16-19.\u00a0(Courtesy of Caltrans)<\/p>\n