Golden Gate Bridge Closed to Vehicle Traffic This Weekend
The 1.7-mile bridge, nearly 80 years old, is getting a moveable median barrier installed.
The longest closure to traffic in the history of the Golden Gate Bridge begins at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 10 and will end at 4 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 12. The iconic, 1.7-mile bridge, nearly 80 years old, is being closed to vehicle traffic so the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District can have a moveable median barrier installed. Once that is accomplished, the district will use machines called "zipper trucks" to shift the barrier several times a day to accommodate morning and evening commutes and variable traffic demand.
The new barrier will "provide a safer and more efficient system of separating opposing lanes of traffic" because it will reduce the potential for head-on collisions, according to the district, which has announced there are alternate ways to get across during the closure:
- Golden Gate Transit bus service will be allowed to cross the bridge.
- Golden Gate Ferry will be offering expanded service, including late-night service.
- The Richmond and Bay Bridges are alternate routes.
The bridge's east sidewalk will remain open for pedestrians and bicyclists, but parking lots at the bridge will be closed.