Summit Snarls Bay Area Traffic As Presidents Meet On The Peninsula

SAN FRANCISCO — Traffic interruptions kicked into high gear across the Bay Area on Wednesday amid a major economic summit featuring President Joe Biden and other global leaders.

The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting is centered in San Francisco this year, but several meetings and events are scheduled elsewhere in the Bay Area through the end of the week.

All eyes were on the Peninsula Wednesday, where President Biden was set to meet face-to-face with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the historic Filoli estate in Woodside, about 25 miles south of San Francisco. As the Associated Press reports, the two leaders were expected to hammer out an agreement to restore certain military-to-military communications.

The high-profile meeting prompted a traffic advisory from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, warning that several roads would be closed or partially shut down into the evening. Impacted areas included a portion of Canada Road between Highway 280 and Highway 92 and Edgewood Road. The meeting began at 11 a.m., and the closures were expected to last until 8 p.m.

Other high-security events and related motorcades will impact travel through the end of the summit, which has been designated as a National Special Security Event. Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol are enforcing a few long-term closures at the request of security officials, including shutting down one lane in both directions over the Bay Bridge for four days.

Certain offramps from the Bay Bridge will also be closed, and a security zone will remain in place surrounding the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco's Nob Hill.

"We understand that these closures may cause temporary inconvenience, but they are essential to ensure the safety and security of this significant event and to promote immediacy and availability for emergency response," Caltrans officials wrote. "We encourage you to plan your travels, accordingly, allow extra time for your commute, and consider using alternative routes or public transportation during this period."

Here are the multi-day closures, per Caltrans:

• 4th Street off-ramp from Eastbound I-80 and 5th Street off-ramp from Westbound I-80
  • Wednesday, November 15 - Friday, November 17, 2023.
  • 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM (Daily).
• San Francisco / Oakland Bay Bridge
  • Closures of #1 (left) lane on Eastbound I-80 and #5 (right) lane on Westbound I-80
  • Tuesday, November 14 - Friday, November 17, 2023.
  • 4-Day Closure, beginning 11/14 at 5:00 AM, ending 11/17 at 9:00 PM.
  • Controlled access to Bay Bridge Ped/Bike Path.
  • No impacts to transit bus services.
  • Treasure Island on/off-ramps, Fremont Street off-ramp remain open.
• NB U.S. 101 Dana Bowers Vista Point off-ramp
  • Tuesday, November 14 through Saturday, November 18 (Five Day Closure).
  • No access to Dana Bowers Vista Point for vehicles, bicycles, or pedestrians.
  • Golden Gate Bridge Pedestrian Path closed at the north end of the bridge; no pedestrian access from Marin County.
  • Bicycle Path on the west side of the bridge to remain open between Marin County and San Francisco.

Biden is scheduled to stay in the Bay Area through Friday afternoon. The President plans to participate in a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Andrews Manuel Lopez Obrador before departing San Francisco International Airport later in the day.

The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.