Golden Gate Bridge Starts a Decade of Overnight Lane Closures as Its Final Earthquake Retrofit Gets Underway

Drivers crossing the Golden Gate Bridge late at night this week are getting a first look at what will become a familiar sight for years: half the lanes coned off while a crane lowers equipment through the suspender ropes.

The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District began overnight lane closures on Monday, Oct. 5, to start construction on the final phase of the bridge's seismic retrofit. USA Today put the overall cost of the work at about $1.8 billion.

What drivers should expect this week

From 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday nights this week, the bridge is down to one southbound lane and two northbound lanes, according to the district's posted schedule. The last closure this week is Thursday night, Oct. 8, and no closure is planned for Friday night, Oct. 9.

The bridge never fully closes, and at least one lane stays open in each direction. The district says drivers should slow down near work zones and may hit minor delays. Going forward, it plans weeknight closures from roughly 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., running until 7 a.m. on Saturday mornings, with no closures on holidays. Staff can cancel a night's work because of traffic or weather.

That's on top of separate daytime maintenance this week. The Southern Marin Ledger reported that two southbound lanes are closing from about 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Thursday for pothole and asphalt repairs, with another round of daytime work scheduled Nov. 2 to 5. Marin commuters heading into San Francisco late at night or early in the morning will feel the squeeze most.

Building platforms under the deck

The closures give workers room to lower temporary access platforms and materials beneath the roadway, the district said. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that crews will assemble about 230,000 square feet of decking so they can work high above the water. They plan to start with the north and south side spans and move to the main span in 2031.

The district said it used similar overnight lane setups for earlier retrofit phases and to install the bridge's suicide deterrent net.

Why the work matters

Earlier phases of the retrofit are already done, and the district says the bridge can already safely withstand a large earthquake. This last phase, focused on the towers and the suspension span, is meant to go further: keeping the bridge usable after a major quake so it can support emergency response in the hours and days that follow.

According to the Southern Marin Ledger, this phase, known as Phase 3B, is scheduled to run from 2026 through 2036. It includes strengthening the main span, both towers and the south tower pier, reinforcing roadway components, and installing 38 energy-dissipating devices. The first of two construction contracts is worth $864 million and is expected to take about six years, the Ledger reported, citing the district.

The district posts schedule changes and construction updates on its website, goldengate.org.