Ahead of CalTrans’ shutdown of 19th Avenue this weekend, students are raising concerns about the construction and ramifications it will have on commutes.

CalTrans is set to shut down sections of 19th Avenue starting this Friday, with lanes limited to public transportation, emergency responders and local access as part of the agency’s resurfacing project. The construction will span three separate weekends, each focused on a different section of 19th Avenue. 

Northbound lanes from Sloat Boulevard to Lincoln Avenue will be closed from Friday, April 24 at 7 a.m. until Monday, April 27 at 5 a.m. Two weeks later, CalTrans will close southbound lanes from Lincoln to Sloat from Friday, May 8 from 7 a.m. until Monday, May 11 at 5 a.m. Finally, both northbound and southbound lanes from Sloat Boulevard to Holloway Avenue will be closed from Friday, May 22 from 7 p.m. until Monday, May 25 at 10 a.m.

“Since there will always be one lane open during construction, local access is generally for emergency responders, public transportation, residents, students, businesses, etc., who need to access 19th Avenue,” according to an email from Caltrans District 4 public information officer Matt O’Donnell. 

Mark Andrews, public information officer for the San Francisco California Highway Patrol, advised students to be aware of the traffic delays.

“My suggestion would be to utilize an alternative route, especially considering using Sunset Boulevard. Just to avoid the area,” Andrews said. “Obviously, there’s going to be major delays due to the amount of traffic that is going to be backed up.” 

Axel Tomelloso, a theatre student at SFSU, commutes to work in the Marina District each weekend on the 28, a line that runs along 19th Avenue for much of its route. He now doubts that he’ll make it to work on time amidst an expected rise in traffic.

“I’m going to have to get up earlier to get on the bus,” Tomelloso said. “There’s going to be a lot more traffic. Luckily, my job is forgiving of being late because of the bus, but still, it’s just not going to be beneficial for anybody.” 

Mar Hudson, an English major and daily user of public transportation, said that the congestion from local drivers is an inevitability, but the tradeoff for better streets is worth the temporary delay in commute. 

“I use public transportation seven days a week. The 28, BART, Muni, yeah, I use everything,” Hudson said. “I think traffic is likely to clog up the only lane, knowing people around here, but I mean, the infrastructure is terrible, so fixing the potholes is not something I’m against.”

Miguel Vargas, a first-year civil engineering major, agrees that the project will be a net benefit.

“I believe this is a good use of taxpayer money,” Vargas said. “Honestly, I haven’t felt the roads have been that much of an issue. With this being my first year in San Francisco, I’m barely getting used to everything.”

Though the flow of traffic will only be open through one lane, O’Donnell has stated that there will be no enforcement on the parties that access it.

“There is no enforcement on who is allowed to use the open lane, although drivers will have to slow down in the construction area to ensure the safety of the construction crews,” O’Donnell said in an email to Golden Gate Xpress. “We don’t consider that one lane to be exclusive. One lane is scheduled to open at all times to allow some flow of traffic.” 

Andrews confirmed that CHP will be dispatched along 19th Avenue, but is unsure of how exactly officers will assist along the road. 

“I don’t know if we will be specifically assisting drivers,” Andrews said. “We will put out information on social media regarding the closure. To physically assist the drivers at the scene, I don’t know if that is going to be feasible considering how many different intersections there are going to be closed during that closure.”