COVID-19 Moves Up U.S. 101 Deck Replacement Project

The U.S. Highway 101 Deck Replacement project at San Francisco’s Alemany Circle will begin later this month instead of July, Caltrans announced Friday. COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders have lightened traffic, making the work less intrusive if done sooner.

On Saturday, April 25, Caltrans will begin replacing 800 feet of 1950s-era bridge deck on one of the Bay Area’s most heavily traveled corridors connecting the economic and population centers from downtown San Francisco to the Peninsula. 

The $37 million project will take two weeks to complete, instead of three weeks under the July plan.

Construction will include a temporary detour of northbound Highway 101 traffic onto Interstate 280. Once the northbound Highway 101 deck is closed at Alemany Circle, it will be demolished and rebuilt. After the northbound deck is complete, southbound Highway 101 traffic will be shifted onto the new northbound deck. 

Myers & Sons Construction of Sacramento will do the work.

“The current COVID-19 crisis underscores the importance of our state highways and freeways as critical to our infrastructure and ability to safely and reliably move goods and services,” said Tony Tavares, Caltrans District 4 Director and MTC Commissioner.  

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, peak travel demand has been reduced between 40% and 60% allowing Caltrans to complete the vital infrastructure project with less delay for drivers and minimizing the need for local street traffic detours. 

Under normal conditions, more than 240,000 vehicles travel the corridor daily. By completing the deck replacement sooner, the section of highway will be ready to support the region's mobility and economic activities after the COVID-19 crisis subsides.

All work complies with Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-33-20 classifying the transportation sector as “Essential Critical Infrastructure.” Caltrans also continues to closely coordinate with and monitor information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, and others to ensure best practices consistent with limiting the spread of COVID-19 are followed. 

Caltrans construction mitigation efforts to limit the effects of noise, light, and dust during the approximate two weeks of construction include: removal of the existing bridge deck by sawing away section by section minimizing any jackhammering and scheduling noisier demolition work during daytime hours.

The project is funded in part by state Senate Bill (SB-1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, a landmark transportation investment to rebuild California by targeting funds toward transit and congested trade and commute corridor improvements. SB-1 currently invests $5.4 billion annually to help address a backlog of repairs and upgrades and provide for a cleaner travel network for the future.

Information about the construction can be found at 101alemanyproject.com. 

Questions or concerns about construction can be shared with Caltrans by email at info@101alemanyproject.com and by phone at a project hotline number: (415) 237-3827.