SF's 19th Avenue reopens after weekend repaving work, but more closures ahead

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A major repaving project along 19th Avenue in San Francisco ended earlier than expected overnight, reopening the roadway in time for the morning commute and easing travel for drivers on the city's west side.

The northbound lanes of 19th Avenue between Sloat Boulevard and Lincoln Way closed to traffic Friday morning and reopened Monday morning after crews finished work ahead of schedule.

Caltrans said the heavily traveled corridor was in desperate need of new asphalt.

"This route really needs this pavement rehab, it's been needed for a while, so we're going to tackle is within ten days rather than 40, which was the original plan," said Caltrans spokesperson Matt O'Donnell.

The repaving brought traffic in the Sunset District to a near standstill during daylight hours, affecting nearby neighborhoods and businesses. Neighbors and business owners said the improvements were necessary, though the closures proved challenging.

Northbound 19th closed for the roadwork over the weekend, with one lane open for locals, buses and emergency vehicles. Some drivers were seen cutting through the cones, driving over the fresh asphalt. SKY7 captured some drivers behaving badly on Friday, looking for a shortcut around dump trucks.

"It's not a good idea; we want them to be safe and our crews to be safe," O'Donnell added.

RELATED: Caltrans repaves northbound 19th Ave. in San Francisco; locals, business owners brace for delays

Businesses along the route reported a slowdown during the closure and said they expect similar impacts during upcoming work.

Still, some said they are prepared to endure the disruptions.

"I think we're just going to go with it. And I think people around here, the community, they will find a way to get here to support our business and my neighbors," said Thuy Linh Do, owner of Tokyo Cream.

Two additional weekend closures are planned as the project continues. Crews are scheduled to repave the southbound lanes between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard during the weekend of May 8.

A final closure is set to begin May 22 and will affect lanes in both directions between Sloat Boulevard and Holloway Avenue.

Caltrans has scheduled the following additional shutdowns:

May 8-11: 70-hour closure of southbound 19th Avenue from Lincoln Way to Sloat Blvd.

May 22-25 (Memorial Day weekend): 75-hour closure of both directions from Sloat Blvd. to Holloway Ave.

Parking on 19th Avenue will be restricted to work zones during closures, but parking on side streets will remain available.

Caltrans is urging drivers to avoid the area and use alternate routes.

During the closures, parking on 19th Avenue will be restricted within work zones, though parking on nearby side streets will remain available. Caltrans is urging drivers to avoid the area and use alternate routes as construction continues.

For more information, click on the links below.
Project page: https://bit.ly/3PKYF2v
Caltrans QuickMap (realtime traffic): https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
511 Bay Area updates: https://twitter.com/511SFBay