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San Francisco's 'Fab 4' freeway rebuild brings weekend closures through 2028

San Francisco's 'Fab 4' freeway rebuild brings weekend closures through 2028

Built World San Francisco, CA local

Caltrans has finished repaving Highway 101's Hospital Curve and 19th Avenue; work on I-280 and the Central Freeway continues toward 2028.

2 days ago: Southbound 101 reopens after final repaving weekend

Overview

Updated Yesterday

Caltrans finished the last southbound repaving weekend for Highway 101's Hospital Curve on Nov. 9 and lists the repaving as complete. Northbound lanes stayed open throughout the shutdown.

The end of full weekend closures does not mean the corridor is finished. Caltrans says median replacement, drainage repairs and grinding on Hospital Curve will continue into spring or summer 2027, while work on I-280 and the Central Freeway is scheduled to run through 2028.

Why it matters

The worst of the Hospital Curve shutdowns is over, but Fab 4 construction will keep squeezing San Francisco traffic into 2028.

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Key Indicators

44,900
Daily travelers on Fab 4 freeways
Approximate number of people who travel the four corridors daily.
4
Freeway projects in 'Fab 4' program
Highway 101 Hospital Curve, I-280, Central Freeway and 19th Avenue.
40
Years new pavement is designed to last
Continuous reinforced concrete pavement replacing 70-year-old roadway.
15.4
Lane miles of Highway 101 being rehabilitated
Between Candlestick Point and the Mission District, plus drainage and median work.
21%
Rise in San Mateo Bridge traffic
Caltrans measured the increase during the Oct. 16-19 southbound 101 closure, as drivers used alternate routes.

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People Involved

LS
Lori Shepherd
Caltrans Bay Area public information officer
Active spokesperson for the Fab 4 rehabilitation projects
 Pedro Quintana
Pedro Quintana
Caltrans District 4 spokesperson
Active spokesperson for the Hospital Curve rehabilitation

Organizations Involved

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
State agency
Leading the Fab 4 program; Hospital Curve repaving is complete, with remaining work continuing into 2027.

Caltrans owns and maintains California's state highway system, including the four San Francisco freeway corridors being rebuilt.

Timeline

September 2025 November 2026

13 events Latest: 2 days ago Showing 8 of 13
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  1. Southbound 101 reopens after final repaving weekend

    Latest Reopening

    Caltrans completed the last southbound repaving weekend for Hospital Curve and reopened the lanes by 6 a.m. The agency lists the repaving as completed in November 2026.

  2. Northbound 101 lane closes overnight for roadwork

    Closure

    Caltrans closed a northbound lane between Cesar Chavez Street and eastbound Interstate 80 from 9:30 p.m. Nov. 9 to 6 a.m. Nov. 10.

  3. Southbound 101 closes for final repaving weekend

    Closure

    Final southbound closure for repaving, Nov. 6-9.

  4. Caltrans confirms Nov. 6-9 southbound 101 closure

    Announcement

    Caltrans announced the final southbound 101 closure, from 11 p.m. Nov. 6 to 6 a.m. Nov. 9, to finish repaving the remaining lanes between Cesar Chavez and 17th Street.

  5. Westbound I-80 closure ends early

    Reopening

    Caltrans completed the polyester concrete work on the westbound I-80 Bayshore Freeway and reopened all lanes and ramps several hours ahead of schedule.

  6. Westbound I-80 closes for deck work

    Closure

    All westbound lanes between Fifth and 15th streets close at 11 p.m. through 6 a.m. Oct. 26 so crews can place polyester concrete on the deck. Caltrans points drivers to the San Mateo, Dumbarton and Richmond–San Rafael bridges.

  7. Southbound 101 reopens early

    Reopening

    Caltrans finished the Oct. 16-19 southbound repaving close to nine hours ahead of schedule, repaving the two fast lanes between Cesar Chavez and 17th Street.

  8. Southbound 101 closes for first southbound repaving

    Closure

    All southbound lanes close between Cesar Chavez and 17th through Oct. 19. One northbound lane also closes.

  9. KQED reports on upcoming southbound closure

    Announcement

    KQED publishes details of the Oct. 16-19 southbound 101 closure and detours.

  10. Northbound 101 closes again

    Closure

    Second northbound closure of Hospital Curve, through Sept. 21, for continued repaving.

  11. Northbound 101 closes for Labor Day weekend

    Closure

    All northbound lanes between Cesar Chavez and 17th streets close through Sept. 7 for repaving.

  12. Major I-80 closure through San Francisco

    Closure

    Interstate 80 through San Francisco closes for major work, ahead of the Fab 4 projects.

  13. Hospital Curve rehabilitation begins

    Project Start

    Caltrans begins the US 101 Bayshore Freeway (Hospital Curve) rehabilitation project.

Scenarios

1

Southbound repaving finishes on schedule, no more Hospital Curve closures in 2026

Likely Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: Caltrans project updates

Crews complete the southbound repaving during the Oct. 16-19 and Nov. 6-9 closures. Caltrans reopens all lanes and moves to the next phase of the broader Fab 4 program. Drivers get a smoother southbound 101 with no further shutdowns this year.

2

Project timeline extends past 2028

Possible Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: Caltrans project page (current estimate: into 2028)

Crews find worse deterioration than expected, or weather delays push work. Caltrans revises the expected completion date for the Hospital Curve or other Fab 4 projects beyond 2028, meaning more closures in future years.

3

Additional northbound closures needed beyond the two completed

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Caltrans statements (northbound work completed after Sept. 21)

Inspection after the northbound repaving reveals sections that need more work, or the southbound work reveals issues affecting northbound lanes. Caltrans schedules additional northbound Hospital Curve closures in 2027.

4

Hospital Curve punch-list work finishes by summer 2027

Likely Resolves by Aug 31, 2027

Discussed by: Caltrans project page

Caltrans says median replacement, drainage repairs and grinding on Hospital Curve will continue into spring or summer 2027. The work is not expected to require full weekend closures like the repaving.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

October 1989

Loma Prieta earthquake (1989)

The 6.9-magnitude earthquake collapsed the Cypress Street Viaduct in Oakland, killing 42 people, and damaged San Francisco's Embarcadero and Central freeways. The quake exposed the vulnerability of the city's aging elevated freeways.

Then

The damaged Embarcadero and Central freeways were demolished rather than rebuilt, reshaping San Francisco's waterfront and removing two elevated structures from the city.

Now

The quake accelerated the end of San Francisco's elevated freeway era, with the city choosing surface boulevards over rebuilding. The remaining freeways, including 101's Hospital Curve, continued aging without major investment.

Why this matters now

The Hospital Curve and other Fab 4 corridors are the same generation of freeway infrastructure that the 1989 quake damaged elsewhere. Their current rehabilitation addresses decades of deferred maintenance.

2002-2013

Bay Bridge eastern span replacement (2002-2013)

After the 1989 quake damaged the Bay Bridge's eastern span, Caltrans spent over a decade and more than $6 billion building a replacement. The project involved years of closures, detours and construction on one of the Bay Area's busiest corridors.

Then

Drivers faced years of lane closures, overnight shutdowns and detours while the new span was built.

Now

The new eastern span opened in 2013 with seismic safety improvements, but the project's cost and duration became a cautionary tale for Bay Area infrastructure work.

Why this matters now

The Fab 4 program is another long-duration Bay Area infrastructure project where closures are spread over years. It shows the pattern of major Bay Area freeway work: extended timelines, weekend closures and heavy public communication.

Sources

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KQED Caltrans ABC7 San Francisco KTVU FOX 2 CBS San Francisco SFMTA SFGate NBC Bay Area KION Central Coast KQED 511.org KQED Caltrans Caltrans CBS San Francisco SFMTA Caltrans Caltrans Caltrans Caltrans