What will the intersection outside Alice's Restaurant look like next summer? Caltrans doesn't know yet, and its officials said as much at the Oct. 20 town hall held across the road at the Mountain Terrace. In early October the state put an all-way stop where Skyline Boulevard meets La Honda Road. At the town hall, Caltrans said a new engineering and traffic study of Four Corners would follow in three to five months, "probably early next year," and it could support lower speed limits. According to The Almanac's town hall report, Caltrans also said it would install a signal if later findings showed one was needed.
So the stop sign you roll up to on a Saturday morning is a starting point. The cars, bikes and motorcycles that move through it between now and early 2027 are what Caltrans will be measuring. All of this is happening while the two main roads up from town are also under construction.
What changed at the crossroads, in order
The changes at Four Corners started before October. In August, according to The Almanac, Caltrans painted the curb red in front of Skywood Trading Post. It also upgraded the north crosswalk between the Mountain Terrace parking lot and Alice's Restaurant and added "Keep Clear" pavement markings.
The all-way stop came next. A September report had expected it by the end of November, but it arrived sooner. The Town of Woodside's alert confirmed on Oct. 5 that drivers from every direction now have to come to a complete stop. The project still has more work to do:
- Better pavement striping and lane lines through the intersection
- All-way STOP pavement markings
- Upgraded warning signs, plus new ones where needed
- Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons at the pedestrian crossing on Highway 35, just north of the intersection
Construction is expected to run through Spring 2027. Along the project corridor, motorists may run into one-way traffic control, equipment staging, minor delays and reduced parking. Caltrans's project page gives the window for this near-term work as September 2026 through April 2027.
Why a stop sign came first
On that same page, Caltrans explains the reasoning. Its safety evaluations found collision rates at Four Corners above those at comparable intersections statewide, with many reported crashes involving improper turns. They also found room to improve traffic controls and make pedestrians and bicyclists more visible.
Residents had pressed the issue for a long time. Two cyclists died in collisions on these highways, one at Four Corners in August 2025 and one on Highway 35 this July. Woodside Circulation Committee member Walker Wells started the Safe Corridor Initiative, and The Almanac reported in August that its petition had drawn more than 500 signers across the Peninsula. State Sen. Josh Becker wrote in his September newsletter, as quoted by The Almanac, that "these corridors have experienced repeated fatal and serious-injury crashes, and residents and roadway users have been raising concerns for years."
People disagree about whether a stop sign is the right tool. When Caltrans first floated the idea, The Almanac found mixed reactions. Many residents supported it. Critics worried about backups on the highway and traffic spilling onto Old La Honda and Kings Mountain roads. Jamie Kerr, an owner of Alice's Restaurant, has said he would rather see a traffic light. At the town hall, acting Caltrans District 4 Director Doanh Nguyen pointed out that signals bring their own maintenance and power issues. That helps explain why the stop sign came first, with a signal held for a later decision.
The calendar that decides the next version
More than 100 people attended the Oct. 20 town hall in person and about 200 watched online. Assemblymember Marc Berman summed up the approach:
"There will undoubtedly be disagreements about what actions we should take, but by working together, we can combine enforcement, engineering and education. We will make your roads safer."
He said it at the meeting, as reported by The Almanac. A recording and timestamped transcript are posted on the Safe Corridor Initiative site, and Berman's event page links the livestream. Based on what Caltrans and county officials said, this is the order in which things are expected to happen:
- Weekend enforcement. On Oct. 20 the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved a one-time Measure K grant of up to $125,000 to the Town of Woodside. The money pays for traffic enforcement on Highways 84, 35 and 9 west of I-280. Supervisor Ray Mueller described it as "dedicated enforcement up here both days, every weekend, for a year." The grant agreement still has to be executed, and the Safe Corridor Initiative's tracker listed the dedicated weekend coverage as "Not yet."
- Upkeep over the next six months or so. This covers vegetation work, replacing missing or faded signs, reviewing speed limit signs, refreshing striping and maintaining turnouts.
- The Four Corners restudy, early 2027. This is the engineering and traffic study that could lead to lower speed limits or, if the findings call for it, a signal.
- The road safety audit, around April 2027. Caltrans expects the report about six months after the town hall, following field visits with CHP and the Sheriff's Office, and has said it will share the results with the community.
- The 6-to-18-month list. Caltrans will assess lower speed limits under AB 1014, evaluate speed cameras, add speed-feedback signs and turnout signs, and look at high-friction pavement. It has started the process of designating Routes 9, 35 and 84 as safety corridors but hasn't finished it. Berman told The Almanac that a local speed camera pilot would need state legislation and local funding, and could take three to four years to go from approval to installation.
Other work is already planned close to the intersection. In September, The Almanac reported that Caltrans would improve the guardrails about a mile west of Four Corners, at a bend known locally as the "Curve of Death." New safety signs are planned at the Kings Mountain Community Center, Portola Heights Road, Castanea Ridge Road, Clouds Rest Vista Point and Old La Honda Road.
Getting up the hill while all of this is underway
The two usual routes from town to the ridge both have construction this fall, so what time you leave makes a difference.
Upper Old La Honda Road. The town's contractor is installing guardrails and cleaning and clearing the upper section. The road is closed during work hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and reopens after work hours. The work started Sept. 28 and is scheduled to finish Friday, Dec. 11. Woodside Public Works answers questions at 650-851-6790 and has said more closure notices will follow. This road carries a lot of bike traffic. Western Wheelers calls the east-side climb a "classic" and "benchmark": 3.3 miles and 1,260 feet of gain on shaded switchbacks. The club also notes that the local Wednesday "Noon Ride" climbs it. A noon start falls inside the closure window until mid-December.
Highway 84 between Woodside and La Honda. Caltrans began resurfacing this stretch on Sept. 14. Crews are grinding, repaving and restriping, with one-way traffic control at different spots. The project is expected to continue through Winter 2026, and Caltrans hasn't announced a specific end date. Before you head out to La Honda, San Gregorio or the coast, check Caltrans QuickMap for live conditions.
At the top: where to eat, stock up and park
Every business at the crossroads is open while the work goes on. Each lists its hours on its own website:
- Alice's Restaurant, 17288 Skyline Boulevard: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
- Skywood Trading Post & Deli, a family-owned stop for gas, groceries and the deli: 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
- The Mountain House, 13808 Skyline Boulevard: dinner Wednesday through Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday.
Parking at the crossroads depends on Caltrans more than most people realize. Andy Kerr, an owner of Alice's, told The Almanac that the restaurant leases more than 65 parking spaces from Caltrans. Caltrans's notice for the all-way stop warns of reduced parking at various locations along the project corridor but doesn't say where.
Trailhead parking follows its own schedules, set by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District:
- El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve has a 65-space lot west of Skyline and the 26-space Skeggs Point lot across the road. Midpen describes it as popular with bicyclists.
- Windy Hill Preserve has small roadside pullouts along Skyline with 10, 11 and 6 spaces. The connector between Hamms Gulch and Eagle trails closes Nov. 3 to 6 for bridge repairs, and Alpine Road serves as the bypass.
- Russian Ridge Preserve has a 37-space lot at Skyline and Alpine. The Caltrans-operated Silicon Valley Vista Point lot is temporarily closed.
- Skyline Ridge Preserve has a 100-space lot. Its separate five-space accessible lot at Horseshoe Loop is closed for construction.
Midpen says closures can change from day to day, so check its trail conditions page before you go. If you'd rather stay off the ridge on a busy weekend, there's plenty down the hill. San Mateo County Parks lists a Ridge Trail Service Day at Huddart Park on Nov. 7. The Woodside Arts & Culture Committee's Plein Air Show runs Nov. 6 to 8. And Filoli's holiday season opens Nov. 13 and runs through Jan. 10, with daytime house visits and evening Holiday Lights.
Tom Correia is a Peninsula native who knows how roadwork on the hill plays out for the homes nearby. When one stretch of a road changes, the homes along it change too: how long it takes to get there, how loud it is, how people come and go. If you own property near Skyline, Old La Honda or La Honda Road and want to know how this winter's work might affect a sale next year, Tom Correia is happy to go over it with you. Request a Free Home Valuation and start with a number based on your own stretch of road.
