Bridge repair causes traffic nightmare in South San Francisco

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KGO) -- A traffic nightmare in South San Francisco. Cars inching along as crews work on repairing the San Bruno Canal Bridge. Places like Costco are seeing a drop in business created by the traffic jam. For people who work in the area, traffic was the worst they've ever experienced.

"Five blocks, one hour," said Edel Alcairo, a San Francisco resident who works at Genentech.

For people who came to shop, eat, lodge or get gas in the area, they had it bad too.

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"It's a big ordeal. I don't think they thought it all the way through in terms of trying to route the traffic. It's going to be an ordeal getting back out," said Will Clements of San Francisco.

The traffic woes can be blamed on the repair work that's begun on the deteriorating San Bruno Canal Bridge -- a vital section of South Airport Boulevard that's now blocked off from North Access Road to Belle Aire Rd.

Costco saw a dramatic drop in customers as a result.

"Inside definitely. It's really, really dead. Completely dead inside," said Noel Magallon, an employee at Costco.

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What people found particularly irritating was that there was no warning.

If there had been, many say they would have steered clear of the area.

"They could have put some signs out there saying road closed ahead, you know use alternate routes or whatever. Nothing," said Roger Campos of San Carlos.

The detours will remain for quite a while.

Repair work on the bridge isn't supposed to be completed until the end of the year.

"We're going to have to avoid it. So we'll have to avoid this whole area because it's an unnecessary thing," said Marcus Zee of San Francisco.

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