How long does a new stop sign get to prove itself? At Four Corners, where Skyline Boulevard meets La Honda Road above Woodside, Caltrans has set the date. Caltrans put in all-way stop control at the intersection of State Route 35 and State Route 84 in early October, and on October 5 the Town of Woodside told drivers coming from every direction that they now have to come to a full stop. Two weeks later, at a public meeting a short walk from the intersection, Caltrans officials described the stop as one step in a series. They said they would come back early next year to measure whether it works.
So the next few months at Skylonda are a test period. The striping and the beacon are already scheduled to go in through spring. What that early-2027 study finds will decide the open question: whether the stop sign stays or a traffic light replaces it.
What has already changed at the top of the hill
The stop sign came last. The smaller changes started in August. According to The Almanac, that month Caltrans painted the curb red in front of Skywood Trading Post. It also improved the north crosswalk that links the Mountain Terrace parking lot to Alice's Restaurant, and added "Keep Clear" pavement markings. In late September the same outlet reported that the four-way stop was expected "by the end of November." It arrived about two months early.
The work isn't done. The Town's update lists more pieces still to come:
- 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 SR-35 just north of the intersection
Caltrans expects construction to run through spring 2027. Until then, drivers may see one-way traffic control, equipment staging, minor delays and less parking at points along the project corridor. The crossing getting the flashing beacon is the same north crosswalk between The Mountain Terrace lot and Alice's. For anyone who parks on one side and eats on the other, the intersection will keep changing all winter.
Why the stop sign is only the first step
On October 20, more than 100 people came to The Mountain Terrace for a "Skyline Safety Solutions" town hall about speeding, reckless driving and collisions on Highways 35 and 84. About 200 more watched online. The Almanac reported that Assemblymember Marc Berman, state Sen. Josh Becker and San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller organized the evening. Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol and the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office gave presentations. The paper described it as the first time several agencies had sat in one room to work on the corridor.
Caltrans was clear about where Four Corners fits. Amjad Naseer, acting deputy for traffic operations, said 100 engineers are assigned to the project and that it tops the agenda at Caltrans' weekly executive staff meetings. Some people at the meeting asked for traffic lights instead of the four-way stop. Officials answered that the changes are meant to come in steps, and that Caltrans will install a signal if the findings over the next few months show one is needed. Alice's Restaurant owner Jamie Kerr was among those who had said earlier, in The Almanac's September coverage, that they would prefer a four-way traffic light.
Doanh Nguyen, acting director of Caltrans District 4, argued that a signal comes with its own trade-offs:
"Signals themselves may not be the best solution either and also introduces maintenance issues with sustainability and power."
Caltrans' Lester Lee told the room the agency hopes the four-way stop and more enforcement will slow drivers at Four Corners. He said Caltrans plans to return early next year for an engineering and traffic study of how well the current changes are working.
The calendar Caltrans laid out
Because the corridor plan is staged, a single date doesn't capture it. The October town hall gave three time frames, each longer than the last:
- About six months: a road safety audit, vegetation management, new traffic and speed limit signs, fresh striping and turnout maintenance.
- Six to 18 months: evaluating speed enforcement cameras, looking at lower speed limits, adding turnout signs, installing location signs for emergency response, and deciding whether high-friction pavement is needed to prevent skidding.
- Two years or more: pedestrian crossings and access controls at Clouds Rest Vista Point and the Sempervirens parking lot.
Of everything on the list, speed cameras have the longest path. Berman told The Almanac that in other cities, getting from approval to working cameras has taken three to four years. Each program needs state legislation, local funding and a road safety audit.
Enforcement is the one piece that doesn't depend on construction. On October 20, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved a $125,000 grant for the Town of Woodside to pay for more CHP patrols on weekends. When Mueller first announced it in September, he said the Measure K money would put one officer on Highways 84, 35 and 9 every Saturday and Sunday for a year. Berman described the grant as a bridge to the slower state work:
"The state government doesn't work that fast, but while we get the immediate support from the county, it buys us a little time to work with our Caltrans partners to try to fund some of those longer-term solutions."
The Town Council has also weighed in. Its October 27 agenda included an item recommending a letter supporting the South Coast Traffic Advisory Panel's recommendations for SR-35 and SR-84.
A ridge morning, planned around the work
None of this closes the ridge. A Saturday drive to the top of 84 still ends at the same places, and the test period mostly changes timing and parking.
Alice's Restaurant at 17288 Skyline Boulevard is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Across the intersection, Skywood Trading Post & Deli sells gas, groceries, spirits and deli food. The store opens at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. on weekends, and closes at 7 p.m. except Sunday, when it closes at 6. If you want breakfast there, the deli serves it from 7:30 to 11 a.m. on weekdays and 8:30 to 11 a.m. on weekends. Sandwiches run until 3 or 4 p.m., depending on the kind. The Mountain Terrace, where the town hall met, is a private venue for weddings and corporate and social events.
One familiar route is closed on weekdays. Upper Old La Honda Road is closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, December 11, while a contractor installs guardrails and clears the upper section. It reopens each day after work hours. Woodside Public Works takes questions at 650-851-6790.
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District preserves within a short drive of the intersection each have their own parking situation this season:
| Destination | Distance from Four Corners | Current note |
|---|---|---|
| El Corte de Madera Creek, main lot | 2.7 miles north | Skeggs Point, about 4 miles north, also reaches El Corte trails |
| Purisima Creek Redwoods, Redwood Trail | 6 miles north | Roadside parking |
| Purisima Creek Redwoods, North Ridge | 8 miles north | Parking expansion planned, with construction projected for 2027–2028 |
| Windy Hill | Skyline-side roadside parking | Hamms Gulch–Eagle Trail connector closed November 3–6 for bridge repairs; use Alpine Road to go around |
| Russian Ridge | Skyline at Alpine-Page Mill | Main 37-space lot open; Caltrans-run Silicon Valley Vista Point lot temporarily closed |
| Skyline Ridge | About a mile south of Alpine-Page Mill | 100-space Circle lot; five-space ADA lot at Horseshoe Loop closed for construction |
The Purisima project ties into a newer destination to the north. Midpen plans to add a multi-use crossing that would connect the preserve to the Skyline Watershed Ridge Trail, and environmental review is underway. Midpen says closures can change from day to day, so check its trail conditions page before heading up. For live road conditions, the Town points drivers to Caltrans QuickMap.
Here is the timeline in order. The Old La Honda work ends December 11. Caltrans' traffic study comes early in 2027. Construction at the intersection runs into spring. The Town of Woodside's alert page posts Four Corners updates as each phase begins.
Changes at the top of 84 affect daily routines and how a property along the corridor fits into them. At The Buljan Group, we have followed the Woodside hills for decades and are glad to talk through how this season's work at Skylonda affects a home you own or are considering. Schedule a confidential consultation.