Caltrans repaves northbound 19th Ave. in San Francisco; locals, business owners brace for delays
Caltrans has more planned shutdowns in April and May
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Drivers beware! A major stretch of 19th Avenue is shut down for 70 hours this weekend, as Caltrans repaves one of San Francisco's busiest corridors. The Northbound lanes of 19th Avenue between Sloat Boulevard and Lincoln Way closed to traffic on Friday morning and will stay closed until Monday at 5 a.m.
One lane will stay open for locals and first responders.
On Saturday, the work was loud. And kind of smelly, just ask 19th Avenue homeowner Robert Lum, he's got a front row seat.
"It's kind of bothersome but I guess it's necessary, there's potholes all over," Lum said.
Caltrans says 19th Avenue is in desperate need of an asphalt makeover.
"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.
Northbound 19th closed for the roadwork this weekend, with one lane open for locals, buses and emergency vehicles. But we still saw big backups, some drivers blocking intersections, even cutting thru 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: Major repair work on San Francisco's 19th Avenue this weekend: What to know about closures
Detours are posted, expect delays.
"Could be better timed definitely, it wasn't acknowledged by Google Maps, so that would have been a plus rerouting would have been easier," said Edna Rivera from Alameda.
Paul Chu, owner of S & E Café says his customers can't get to this cafe, due to the repaving.
"No customers can park, no customers can come by, I lost a lot of business," said Chu.
Locals admit a little inconvenience is worth it if it makes 19th Avenue smoother and safer.
"This is a busy street, so it's good, it's good they're doing it here," Lum added.
:
April 24-27: 70-hour closure of northbound 19th Avenue from Sloat Blvd. to Lincoln Way.
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.
Suggested detours include:
For Junipero Serra Boulevard traffic:
Right onto Junipero Serra Blvd.
Left on Sloat Blvd.
Right on Sunset Blvd.
Right on Lincoln Way
Left on 25th Ave.
Right on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Left onto 19th Avenue/SR1
For Brotherhood Way traffic:
Westbound on Brotherhood Way
Right on Lake Merced Blvd.
Right to Sunset Blvd.
Right on Lincoln Way
Left on 25th Ave.
Right on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Left onto 19th Avenue/SR1
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
