Southern Marin commuters heading into San Francisco will hit midday slowdowns on Highway 101 starting Monday, Aug. 17, as crews close two southbound lanes on the Golden Gate Bridge for pothole and asphalt repairs.
The closures run from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Aug. 17–20, according to Patch, citing the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Two lanes will remain open in each direction during the work, down from the bridge's normal three-lane configuration each way.
The district warned drivers to expect slower traffic around the work zones.
This isn't a one-week inconvenience. The district has scheduled three additional closure windows following the same Monday-through-Thursday, 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. pattern:
- Sept. 7–10
- Oct. 5–8
- Nov. 2–5
The district said traffic and weather conditions will be monitored before each closure, and work could be rescheduled if necessary. Crews expect to finish by 2 p.m. each day, restoring full three-lane flow in both directions.
The timing avoids peak morning and evening rush hours, but residents of Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Larkspur and Tiburon who cross the bridge for midday appointments, errands or shift work should plan extra time or consider alternatives. Golden Gate Ferry serves Larkspur, Sausalito and Tiburon, with adult Clipper card fares running $8.50–$9.50.
Separate from seismic retrofit
The district emphasized that these closures are routine maintenance, separate from the far larger seismic retrofit project planned for the 89-year-old span.
That retrofit is expected to take roughly a decade and cost nearly $1.8 billion. The bridge sits approximately six miles from the San Andreas Fault, and the retrofit program began after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused damage to the structure. District spokesperson Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz has described the project as part of a broader effort to secure federal transportation funding for Marin County.
The project's latest phase, Phase 3B, is estimated at $879 million and funded through a $400 million federal grant, $200 million from Caltrans' Highway Bridge Program and $270 million from the district's reserves, according to Construction Equipment Guide. Halmar International is heading pre-construction as construction manager and general contractor, with construction slated to begin in 2026.
Plans call for installing 40-foot-tall steel plates to reinforce the bases of both towers, adding 38 shock absorbers and strengthening the steel lattice system supporting the suspension span.
The goal: reopen the bridge to emergency vehicles within 24 hours and to the general public within 72 hours after a major earthquake.
The immediate concern is more modest: drivers crossing the bridge between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays through Nov. 5 should check the district's website before heading out.
