Motorists should expect moderate changes to State Route 163 (SR-163) through Mission Valley beginning the week of September 17. All lanes of SR-163 between Genesee Avenue and Interstate 8 (I-8) will close Monday through Thursday nights for the placement of falsework on the Friars Road Bridge. The southbound lanes will close Monday and Tuesday from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., the northbound lanes will close Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 to 5 a.m. At no time will the freeway close in both directions at the same time.
Once the falsework is in place, the height clearance of the freeway overpass at Friars Road will be reduced to 15 feet. That clearance is high enough for all standard passenger cars, trucks and SUVs. Commercial vehicles and vehicles towing a trailer should verify their load can make the clearance. The falsework will remain in place until late-Spring 2019. Signs will be posted on both the northbound and southbound lanes to remind motorists of the clearance height. Motorists unsure their vehicle will make the clearance are encouraged to call the Caltrans Oversize Load Permit office at 916-322-1297 or online at http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/permits/index.html to get rerouted through the area.
During the full freeway closures, crews will begin closing some of the freeway lanes at 7 p.m., with all lanes closing by 11 p.m. The closure also includes the eastbound and westbound I-8 connector ramps to northbound SR-163. In addition, the eastbound Friars Road on-ramp to northbound SR-163 will be closed. The Genesee Avenue on-ramp to northbound SR-163 will remain open.
All southbound SR-163 motorists will be detoured to southbound I-805 to westbound I-8 to the southbound SR-163 connector ramp. All northbound SR-163 motorists will be detoured to eastbound I-8 to northbound I-805 to the merge at northbound SR-163.
The $40 million project will widen the SR-163 Friars Road overcrossing as well as improve the SR-163 on- and off-ramps. In addition, a southbound SR-163 auxiliary lane just north of the Friars Road off-ramp will be constructed.
