San Francisco set to open and name newest park along portion of Great Highway

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- It's hard to believe, but San Francisco's newest park is going to open in one week.

It feels like the Great Highway just closed for the transformation, and now it is almost done.

"Poof. It's here. Looks great.," said Paul Sedan, West Portal resident.

The two-mile stretch of the Great Highway permanently closed last month to make way for a park with its official opening date of Friday, April 12.

MORE: SF's Great Highway is now permanently closed to cars. Here's what happens next

A two-mile stretch of the Great Highway in San Francisco is closed to cars for good, and work to turn it into a park is already underway.

"It's been impressive watching the city actually come together and build something so quickly and efficiently. I don't think we're known for that," said Amy Harms, who lives in San Francisco.

Lucas Lux, President Friends of Ocean Beach Park said, "What was blocking improvements like this skate park... And bike track before was the cars had to come here every week. Now that's out of the way, we can put things down for people to enjoy a real park."

"We're so surprised that it's happening so fast. We never expected. We thought it would be years before the park would be open. But we're excited. We love walking down here. It's, you know, great to see so many people out," said Abhilash Felix from the Outer Sunset.

But this space is not without controversy.

Voters approved the park and the road closure in November with the passage of Measure K, which has caused tensions from the get-go.

MORE: Lawsuit filed in efforts to prevent closure of San Francisco's Great Highway to traffic

Including an effort to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio -- who has been a big supporter of the park.

"I personally didn't vote 'Yes" on K. I think that I appreciated commuters going back and forth. This is one of the only three ways to get through the city. I think seeing now they're like getting artists to do community work and whatnot . . . but I do think that it is going to change the Sunset for many different reasons, good and bad," said Danielle Del Castillo from San Francisco.

MORE: Community rallies to restore new 50-foot-long mural vandalized after SF's Great Highway closure

Meanwhile, the park will soon have a name.

San Francisco Recreation and Parks received more than 4,200 suggestions from the community and has narrowed it down to five.

The names are: Fog Line, Playland Parkway, Sunset Dunes, Great Parkway, and Plover Parkway

"We were trying to brainstorm some names ourselves, but. Yeah, yeah, we're excited. We don't know what it's going to be called, but we're very excited to find out," Felix said.

"I think it's exciting that the people of San Francisco get to name their park, and I like them. I'm curious what the Rec and Park Commission will choose and I hope it's something that excites people," said Lux.

Rec and Park is expected to vote on the name in a special meeting on Wednesday.