Northbound SR-87 in South Bay closed over weekend for much-needed repairs, Caltrans says

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Get ready for some detours in the South Bay.

Starting Friday night, a 56-hour closure will be happening along a major stretch of northbound State Route 87, a major artery that connects drivers to other major highways.

Officials say it will cause traffic impacts but that the end result will be worth it.

SR-87 is one of the most important stretches of freeway in the South Bay.

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Taking drivers through San Jose's downtown and connecting to other highways like I-280, SR-85 and SR-17.

But the road and its surroundings are in need of some critical work.

That's where the "State Route 87 Road Rehabilitation project" comes in.

"We're replacing the roadway pavement with a 20-year life cycle flexible pavement structure. We're upgrading 28 curb ramps and six different intersections and resurfacing 2.9 -- close to three miles -- of Class 1 bikeway that runs parallel to the mainline," said Victor Gauthier from Caltrans District 4.

While the $69 million project will bring in those necessary repairs, it's going to take time. Caltrans, in partnership with VTA and the City of San Jose have condensed much of the work into two 56-hour weekends.

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We're going to be saving time, potentially three months by doing the work during this full weekend. It's also going to reduce all the overnight nighttime lane closures and nighttime work that can impact the community.

It starts at 9 p.m. Friday, stretching through Monday no later than 5 a.m.

The first weekend tackles northbound SR-87, between SR-85 and I-280.

Northbound will be closed. And we do have detours.

Here's a look at two of those detours Caltrans has posted:

Northbound Detour A runs southbound to State Route 85 to northbound Highway 101 to northbound I-280.

Detour B runs northbound SR-85 to northbound SR-17, then southbound I-280.

Signage with detour information will be on display. Caltrans still recommends giving yourself plenty of time to get destinations while the weekend work is finished.

Work that officials say needs to be done as soon as possible before the threat of bad weather impacts the project.

"If we can go ahead and get this work done before the winter months, that will definitely save us a lot of time, a lot of money, and it'll just save the impact on nighttime work," Gauthier said.

Following this weekend's 56-hour closure, another closure to do the same work to southbound 87 is scheduled starting Oct. 20.

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