People on the road on Saturday experienced a delay of more than an hour as Caltrans officials diverted southbound traffic on Interstate 680. These drivers’ detours also caused heavy congestion on other Bay Area highways.
The road closure is expected to start on Sunol Boulevard and continue to Koopman Boulevard, beginning Friday night and continuing until 4 a.m. Monday.
Several drivers told NBC Bay Area their stories.
Salvador Jimenez said his daughter called him on Saturday night to tell him he had a flat tire at Livermore.
“She called a tow truck,” he said. “And the tow truck canceled because there was too much traffic and they couldn’t come. So I came to change her tires.”
Jimenez said it was slow and painful to get home in the NBC Bay Area, taking about two hours. His advice to other drivers is to go to the bathroom first.
Another piece of advice, this is from Gail Macklin. Fill up with gas. When she spoke to NBC Bay Area, her tank was nearly empty and there were no gas stations for miles.
Caltrans says the weekend closures, while inconvenient, will ultimately benefit Bay Area drivers. The part to be replaced had deteriorated over time and was full of holes.
All southbound lanes are scheduled to reopen at 4 a.m. Monday. Caltrans has plans to resurface other sections of Interstate 680 in the future and will announce more weekend closures in the future.
