CHP to shut down San Francisco freeway offramps in Mission after end of 49ers-Lions NFC title game
Caltrans issued a traffic advisory Friday, announcing that there would be multiple freeway offramp closures in San Francisco Sunday night after the end of the NFC Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions.
The Caltrans announcement appears aimed at discouraging people from coming into San Francisco to celebrate in the event of a 49ers victory that would find the team returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2020.
The offramps are scheduled to be closed along the U.S. 101/Interstate 280 corridor in San Francisco after the game ends on Sunday, Jan. 28, from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., not long after the game being held at Levi's Stadium will end. The offramp closures will prevent people from getting off the freeway at the exits closes to the Mission District.
The offramps slated for closure are as follows:
- US-101 northbound and southbound Cesar Chavez St. offramp
- US-101 northbound Mission St./Duboce St. offramp
- I-280 northbound San Jose Ave. offramp
- I-280 northbound and southbound Geneva Ave offramp
Caltrans and CHP will be working with the San Francisco Police Department to assist the city with the closures. Drivers are advised to be aware of the planned closures and use alternate routes to avoid likely traffic congestion during the designated period.
San Francisco police additionally said that they would be working with those agencies and San Francisco Muni to limit traffic along Mission and Valencia between 21st and 27th "in the interest of public safety."
Muni will close 24th Street between Potrero and Valencia, and Mission Street between Cesar Chavez Street and 21st Street.
Bus service will be rerouted on the 14 Mission and 14R Mission Rapid, 27 Bryant, 48 Quintara/24th Street, 49 Van Ness/Mission and 67 Bernal Heights, Muni said.
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.
