What you need to know about this week’s Bay Bridge APEC lane closures

APEC, which will be attended by heads of state including President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador, is classified by the US secret intelligence community as a national special security event. The event will require heavy security throughout San Francisco throughout the week.

The anticipated commuter nightmare will affect both directions of Interstate 80. The eastbound Fourth Avenue exit and westbound Fifth Avenue exit will be closed Wednesday through Friday. The California Highway Patrol said the off-ramp, which normally directs motorists directly to the Moscone Center area where meetings are held, will be closed daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“This is something we’ve never done before,” CHP spokesperson Andrew Barclay told SFGATE. “We know that traffic conditions get worse here during commute hours.”

One lane on each side of the Bay Bridge will also be closed to traffic. The left lane will be closed eastbound on the freeway, and the right lane will be closed westbound. The closure will begin at 5 a.m. Tuesday and end at 9 p.m. Friday. The Bay Bridge pedestrian and bicycle lanes will also be placed under “restricted access,” the CHP said.

“People will definitely notice an increase in the number of California Highway Patrol officers present on the Bay Bridge, and indeed throughout San Francisco,” Barclay said.

On northbound Highway 101, the Dana Bowers Vista Point exit on the Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge will be closed Tuesday through Saturday. Bicycles and pedestrians will also be closed, but the Golden Gate Bridge sidewalk and the path connecting the eastern sidewalk to Sausalito and the Marin Headlands will remain open. According to Caltrans.

As world leaders move through the city during the APEC summit, motorcades can sometimes cross the roads at unexpected times. Although these road closures are short-term, motorists may need to plan ahead in case the road closes without notice.

“There may be movement that requires temporary traffic interruptions to allow it to pass,” Barclay said. “We don’t have time for things like that. And, again, they usually pass. They haven’t been in place long.”

For the latest information on traffic conditions in the Bay Area, visit: 511.org or the agency’s Social media. Berkeley said people traveling to San Francisco during the APEC summit will be encouraged to use public transportation or work remotely if possible. If you must drive, “please be prepared for delays and leave plenty of time to reach your destination,” he said.

Muni is the only service where conferences cause major disruption. Here’s the latest list of Muni reroutes: Found on website.

Multiple roads near San Francisco’s downtown area will be closed throughout this week.