Potrero Hill Bridge Being Rehabilitated

Earlier this year, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced plans to upgrade bridge barrier rails in San Francisco to bring them to current standards. One of the projects is taking place on the 23rd Street overcrossing where it intersects above the U.S.-101 Highway between Vermont and Kansas streets.

Caltrans manages more than 50,000 miles of highway and freeway lanes. It facilitates intercity rail services and works with local agencies to provide a safe and reliable transportation network statewide.

According to Caltrans Public Information Officer Lori Shepherd, existing bridge railings are in poor condition and need to be replaced to improve safety for vehicles and pedestrians.

“There are also architectural features to the railing and fencing which will improve the aesthetics of the bridge by matching the surrounding architecture,” she said. 

Construction began in January and is expected to be completed in July. While work is being done between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. the bridge remains open to traffic with little to no delay, according to Shepherd. 

Similar rehabilitation work is being performed on the Third Street ramp overcrossing in Bayview, with the Paul Avenue northbound offramp closed. As a detour route, commuters should either exit early onto Third Street or proceed to the next exit, Silver Avenue, and backtrack on Bayshore Boulevard. On both the Bayview and Potrero Hill bridges the work takes place on one side of the bridge at a time.

“This ramp is closed to control traffic coming into the Third Street bridge to make the space safe for merging cars from other adjacent streets. The one-way roadway at the bridge is reduced to one lane to provide a safe work area for the construction workers,” said Shepherd. 

Project funding is provided by the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP), a four-year plan to improve the condition, operation, and sustainability of the State Highway System and associated transportation infrastructure. SHOPP pays for safety improvements, repairs, and highway operational and modal enhancements to the State Highway System.

Shepherd said that while little to no traffic delays have been caused by the 23rd Street bridge work during commute hours, there’ll be intermittent closures during non-commute hours and in the evening to allow for work activities that impact circulation. 

The project is one of several planned this year which may affect Bayview and Potrero Hill. 

“San Francisco’s central and Bayshore freeways will undergo major viaduct rehabilitation tentatively beginning late summer 2025, which may have an impact on residents, businesses, and motorists in the Potrero Hill vicinity.” said Shepherd. “Of these, most proximate to Potrero Hill, is the U.S.-101 which will undergo a massive effort to rehabilitate freeway drainage systems, replace concrete pavement, repave freeway on- and off-ramps, and replace the median barrier along the route from Candlestick Point through Hospital Curve.”

A worker at Kansas Food Market, located at the corner of Kansas and 23rd streets, directly across from the construction site, who prefers to remain unnamed, has noticed several drivers moving through the intersection without heeding the stop signs. 

“I think the construction is causing a distraction for people driving down the hill. They’re not fully stopping,” he said. “Hopefully the work gets completed soon.”