Caltrans issued a traffic advisory Thursday, announcing that there would be multiple freeway offramp closures in San Francisco Sunday night after the end of Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Caltrans plan with the California Highway Patrol appears aimed at discouraging people from coming into San Francisco to celebrate in the event of a 49ers victory that would mark the team’s first Super Bowl win in almost three decades. Officials took similar action on the night of the NFC Championship Game almost two weeks ago.
The closures are scheduled for multiple offramps along the U.S. 101 and I-280 corridor in San Francisco the evening of Sunday, Feb. 11. Caltrans and CHP are assisting the San Francisco Police Department with the closures of off-ramps tentatively scheduled to start at 7 p.m. that will continue until midnight.
The freeway exits scheduled to be closed are as follows:
- US-101 Southbound, Cesar Chavez St. off-ramp
- US-101 Northbound, Cesar Chavez St. off-ramp
- US-101 Northbound, Mission St./Duboce St. off-ramp
- I-280 Northbound, San Jose Ave off-ramp
- I-280 Northbound, Geneva Ave off-ramp
- I-280 Southbound, Geneva Ave off-ramp
“These ramp closures in San Francisco are necessary to enhance public safety due to an anticipated increase traffic and pedestrian congestion during the National Football League game scheduled for Sunday afternoon,” the statement said.
Muni also issued an advisory regarding bus service in the the Mission during and after the game.
Starting at 5 p.m., Muni bus service will avoid using Mission Street, 24th Street and 16th Street in the Mission District, the SFMTA said. That will continue until streets are clear.
The following Muni routes will be re-routed:
- 14 Mission, 14R Mission Rapid and 49 Van Ness/Mission will use Guerrero Street from 15th to Cesar Chavez streets.
- 12 Folsom and 27 Bryant will use Potrero Street between 22nd and Cesar Chavez streets.
- 22 Folsom, 33 Ashbury/18th Street and 55 Dogpatch will use 14th and 15th streets between Guerrero Street and South Van Ness Avenue.
- 48 Quintara/24th Street and 67 Bernal Heights will use Cesar Chavez Street instead of 24th Street between Potrero and Valencia streets.
On Friday, San Francisco police confirmed there would be “traffic closures in the Mission District” but did not specify which streets would be shut down or when the closures would take place. When the 49ers beat the Detroit Lions in NFC Championship Game on Jan. 28, bot Mission Street and 24th Street were closed for a period of time.
“Officers will have a visible presence throughout the city before, during, and after the game with safety as our priority,” police said in the released statement. “The SFPD will not tolerate violence, property destruction, or other criminal activity.”
The statement also encouraged those participating in Super Bowl festivities “to do so respectfully and responsibly” and to avoid driving while intoxicated.
Authorities used a similar tactic when the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA finals, closing I-80 exits to keep Warriors fans from swarming the area around the Chase Center after the team’s Game 6 win.
