Golden Gate Bridge closes lanes four nights for seismic work

Commuters from Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Larkspur and Tiburon heading into San Francisco will see southbound traffic reduced to one lane overnight on the Golden Gate Bridge for four straight weeknights starting Monday, Oct. 5.

The Golden Gate Bridge District announced overnight lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night, Monday, Oct. 5, through Thursday, Oct. 8, for seismic retrofit construction. Only one southbound lane will remain open during those hours. Two northbound lanes will stay open.

The bridge will not fully close at any point. All vehicle traffic can still cross during the construction windows, though the district warned drivers to expect slower speeds and minor delays around work zones. No closures are scheduled for Friday night, Oct. 9.

Separate daytime work is also scheduled Oct. 5-8. Two southbound lanes will close from about 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day for roadway maintenance, leaving two lanes open in each direction. The work includes pothole and asphalt repairs, according to the Golden Gate Bridge District.

Late-night and early-morning drivers should expect reduced capacity. The district said drivers should slow down around construction areas and may experience minor delays during the overnight work.

More daytime work planned

The district scheduled similar midday roadway-maintenance closures Sept. 7-10 and another window Nov. 2-5. Those daytime closures are separate from the overnight seismic retrofit work.

A years-long retrofit

The overnight work is part of Phase 3B of the Golden Gate Bridge seismic retrofit, scheduled from 2026 through 2036. The work includes strengthening the main suspension span, both towers and the south tower pier, along with reinforcing roadway components and installing 38 energy-dissipation devices.

The first of two Phase 3B construction contracts is worth $864 million and is expected to take approximately six years, according to the district.