East Bay News

Southbound I-680 in Pleasanton will close Friday night through Monday morning. Here's what to know.

Updated on: March 15, 2024 / 6:49 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

Weekend closure of I-680 poses East Bay traffic challenges

Residents in the East Bay are advised to prepare for weekend traffic and detours as Caltrans shuts down southbound Interstate Highway 680 in Pleasanton between Interstate Highway 580 and Koopman Road beginning Friday night.

The weekend closure affecting parts of Dublin, Pleasanton and Sunol had been planned for January and February, but both times was postponed due to storms that passed through the Bay Area that weekend. Below you will find details about the timeline of the closure, the detours that will be in effect and the purpose of the work being done.

When will the stretch of southbound I-680 be closed?

At 9 p.m. on Friday, March 15, Caltrans will shut down southbound I-680 in the Dublin/Pleasanton area between the connector with I-580 and Koopman Road in Sunol just north of where I-680 connects with Highway 84. The closure of southbound lanes will continue through the weekend with a planned reopening at 4 a.m. Monday, March 18.

It is possible if Caltrans makes quick progress on the weekend work that the southbound lanes could reopen early. Caltrans has been doing overnight closures with some extended weekend closures along the stretch of I-680 in both directions dating back to 2022. During weekend closures, crews are able to complete the amount of work that otherwise would require an estimated 40 nighttime closures, according to Caltrans.

What areas are affected by the southbound I-680 closure?

While the southbound freeway closure is located in Dublin, Pleasanton and Sunol, the complete shutdown of southbound I-680 could have widespread traffic impacts if Bay Area residents don't avoid the area. In addition to the southbound lanes of Interstate Highway 680 being closed between the I-580 connector south to Koopman Rd., southbound Foothill Rd. and southbound Pleasanton Sunol Rd. will also be closed south of Castlewood Dr. except for local residents and for emergencies.

In addition to the I-580 connector to southbound I-680, the below on-ramps onto southbound I-680 will also be closed for the duration of the construction work.

Southbound Saint Patrick Way
Southbound Stoneridge Dr.
Southbound Bernal Ave.
Southbound Sunol Blvd.

There will also be a number of detours in place in the area of the freeway closure. Motorists on southbound Foothill Rd. can only turn left onto Castlewood Dr. and only turn left again onto Pleasanton Sunol Rd. to northbound I-680. Westbound Sunol Rd. traffic will also be detoured to northbound I-680 during the closure.

CHP officers and message signs will offer some possible options to guide motorists to avoid the closure. Some suggested detour routes are as follows:

Motorists on southbound I-680 near the Benicia Bridge can take I-780 west to I-80 to southbound I-880.
Motorists on southbound I-680 in Concord can take SR-4 to I-80 to southbound I-880.
Motorists on southbound I-680 in Walnut Creek can take SR-24 to I-80 to southbound I-880.
Motorists on Southbound I-680 in Danville take westbound I-580 to SR-238 to southbound I-880.
Motorists on Southbound I-680 in Danville take eastbound I-580 to SR-84 to southbound I-680.
Motorists on westbound I-580 coming from Tracy can exit onto southbound SR-84 and get back on southbound I-680 just south of Calaveras Road near Sunol.

Caltrans said in a statement that all entrances to the city of Dublin from I-580 and I-680 will be open during this weekend's closure. The city's St. Patrick's Day events will be held as usual on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit https://dublin.ca.gov/.

Northbound I-680 will remain open for the duration of the closure.

More detailed information on the closure and detours are available on the Caltrans I-680 repaving project website.

What work is being done by Caltrans during the closure?

Caltrans crews will be replacing a section of the existing deteriorated roadway with new pavement. The aim of the work is to enhance motorist safety while providing a smoother roadway. The full weekend closures are intended to reduce the number of nightly closures needed to complete the repaving project.

Dave Pehling

Dave Pehling is website managing editor for CBS Bay Area. He started his journalism career doing freelance writing about music in the late 1990s, eventually working as a web writer, editor and producer for KTVU.com in 2003. He began his role with CBS Bay Area in 2015.