Escalator Upgrades Move Forward at Muni Subway Stations
As Phase 2 of the Muni Metro Escalator Rehabilitation Project continues to make headways, construction will reach another milestone. The escalators at north of Castro Station and at south of Hallidie Plaza outside Powell Station that have been under construction since May 2016 will be completed in late October. These escalators will resume service then.
Following that, construction will begin on the escalator leading to the platform at the east end of Powell Street Station, next to the Westfiled Center. At the same time, work will begin on the inbound escalator serving the platform at Castro Station. The two escalators will be out of service for about five months. The station elevators and the other escalators will provide service to the customers who have difficulty walking up the stairs.
Most of the old escalators at Muni Metro stations have been on the job for over 40 years. They are outdated and easily break down. The new units equipped with state of art technology will make the Muni system safer, more reliable and accessible, especially for seniors and customers with special needs.
Work hours for the escalator project will be from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays with some weekend work required.
The escalator rehabilitation project has two phases. Phase 1 that replaced five escalators at Church, Powell and Van Ness stations was completed in 2014. Phase 2 of the project that started in November 2015 will rehabilitate 17 escalators at Montgomery, Powell, Hallidie Plaza, Civic Center, Van Ness, Church and Castro. Construction will last for about four years.
To maintain service, only one escalator per station and two escalators total will be taken out of service. The rehab work takes approximately five months because each escalator is custom designed.
The staging area adjacent to the job site will be clearly marked and safely barricaded. A wooden barricade will be built over the escalator being serviced to ensure the safety for Muni customers as well as construction workers