Evening lane setup changing on Golden Gate Bridge

Commuters headed out of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge during the evening commute will be getting an extra lane beginning Tuesday.

To better balance traffic congestion, drivers will typically encounter four northbound lanes and two southbound lanes from 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays, according to bridge district officials.

The current norm is three northbound lanes and three southbound in the evening.

There may be occasional unexpected changes to the configuration due to emergencies, accidents and unusual traffic conditions, officials said. Any deviations will be publicized via Twitter from @GGBridgeAlerts.

Bridge officials said they will monitor impacts on southbound traffic and evaluate the effectiveness of the evening lane change to see whether adjustments are needed.

During the morning commute going into San Francisco, there are four southbound lanes and two northbound, a longtime setup that is not shifting, according to bridge spokeswoman Priya Clemens.