San Francisco will host The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference – one of the largest gatherings of global leaders – from Saturday, November 11 to Friday, November 17, 2023.
As a result of APEC, San Francisco will increase security precautions, including closing two lanes of the Bay Bridge. The rightmost lane of I-80 westbound and the leftmost lane of I-80 eastbound will shut down from November 14 at 5 a.m. to November 17 at 9 p.m., according to Caltrans.
“This is an exciting opportunity for San Francisco to shine on the world stage. Most APEC activities will take place in the South of Market and Nob Hill neighborhoods.” SFMTA announced, “Due to the scale of the gathering, APEC may have some impacts on travel in other areas of San Francisco as well. The bulk of the travel and transit impacts will take place from Nov. 14-19.”
San Francisco expects more than 20,000 people to attend this historic conference, including heads of state and dignitaries from over 20 member economies in Asia, the Pacific, North America, and South America.
According to SFMTA, areas around conference events and activities will be closed to vehicle, transit, and bicycle traffic for security purposes. People will be allowed into security zones to access their homes, work, and shop with appropriate screening.
SFMTA advises anyone traveling through the city to allow for extra time and prepare for delays.
SFMTA released a complete list of closures, available here. Visit APEC 2023‘s official website for more information.