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Central Subway Construction Update 5/31/13

Construction Update

June 1-10, 2013

During the next 10 days, construction to prepare for tunneling will continue in SoMa and Union Square. No Central Subway construction is planned in Chinatown or North Beach.

For descriptions of construction impacts in each neighborhood, scroll down or click on the links below. We also post construction, traffic detour and Muni impact information on our project Google Map.

Construction impacts are planned to change at these locations by June 10:

 

  • Northern SoMa (Market to Harrison):  Two lanes of traffic will remain closed on 4th Street between Howard and Folsom, but the traffic configuration may change (details in the Northern SoMa section). Construction will be underway this Saturday, June 1, and next Saturday, June 8, on this block. On 4th Street between Market and Stevenson, the sidewalk and two traffic lanes will remain closed on the eastern side of the street.

At these locations, current construction impacts are planned to continue until June 10:

 

 

  • Southern SoMa (Harrison to King/Berry): Full closure of 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant will continue some evenings and weekends. Two lanes of traffic will remain open at all other times. Contact us at central.subway@sfmta.com if you have questions about the closure schedule. On Bryant Street at 5th Street, the left lane and several parking spaces will remain closed.
  • Union Square: Stockton Street between Geary and Ellis will remain closed to vehicle traffic. Ellis Street between Stockton and Powell will remain closed to westbound traffic.
  • Chinatown: No construction planned
  • North Beach: No construction planned before June 3, but demolition of the Pagoda Palace is scheduled to begin in June. For more information, check out this construction notice.

We appreciate your patience and support while we build this essential upgrade to San Francisco's public transportation system.

-The Central Subway Team Photo of TBM with flag and tour group
A tour group looks at tunnel boring machine Mom Chung, bedecked  with an American flag, in celebration of her upcoming launch. Southern SoMa

 

4th Street from Harrison to King/Berry

On 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant streets, the contractor has constructed a major excavation known as a launch box at the site where tunneling will begin. After assembly of a tunnel boring machine underground, tunneling will start this summer.

Planned construction:

 

  • Install gantry crane inside launch box
  • Assemble tunnel boring machine trailing gear
  • Test and commission TBM
  • Deliver TBM parts to Bryant Street staging area
  • Finish launch box ramp

Traffic and pedestrian impacts:

 

 

  • The two lanes on the east side of the street (left lanes for southbound traffic) will remain open to vehicle traffic except as described below.
  • The block may close to traffic from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on weeknights and all day Saturday and Sunday. When the Giants have home games, the closure will start an hour after the game ends.
  • The sidewalk on the west side of the block will remain closed; the sidewalk on the east side of the block will remain open.
  • On Bryant Street at 5th Street, the left lane and several parking spaces will be closed.

Traffic and pedestrian controls are in place. For more information on construction impacts at this site, check out this blog post.
Traffic control at 4th and Market
A traffic control officer directs traffic at 4th and Market. Northern SoMa

 

4th Street from Market to Harrison

On 4th Street between Howard and Folsom streets, the contractor is constructing below-ground walls, called headwalls, at the site of the future Yerba Buena/Moscone Station. The walls will cross 4th Street at two points on this block. For more information on construction at this site, check out this blog post.

In addition, the contractor is performing ground improvement work (installation of compensation grout tubes) on 4th Street between Market and Stevenson. More information is available in this construction notice. 

Planned construction (Market to Stevenson):

 

  • Install subsurface piping for ground improvements
  • Perform ground improvements

Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Market to Stevenson):

 

 

  • Two lanes on the eastern side of the street (near Ross) will be closed.
  • The sidewalk on the eastern side of the street will be closed. A protected pedestrian walkway will be in place around the construction zone.

Planned construction (Howard to Folsom):

 

 

  • Construct subsurface walls (headwalls)
  • Perform ground improvements on northwest section of block
  • Construction will be underway on Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Howard to Folsom):

 

 

  • At least two lanes of traffic on 4th Street will remain open on the western side of the block except as described below
  • One night next week, traffic may be reduced to one lane from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. to allow for the installation of a rebar cage
  • Starting next week, traffic may travel in an S configuration down the block, starting on the east at Howard and shifting to the west by Folsom. Please exercise caution while traveling through the area.
  • The sidewalks will not be impacted

Photo of Ellis Street shaft
Workers descend into the 85-foot-deep shaft on Ellis Street. We will use this shaft to improve ground conditions near the existing Muni and BART tunnels. Union Square

 

Stockton Street from Market to Post

On Stockton Street between Geary and Ellis streets, the contractor is installing below-ground walls called headwalls at the site of the future Union Square/Market Street Station. In addition, ground improvement is underway on Ellis Street between Stockton and Powell streets.

Planned construction:

 

  • Construct guide walls and headwalls on Stockton Street between Ellis and O'Farrell
  • Set up drill rig and install subsurface piping for ground improvements in Ellis Street shaft
  • Perform ground improvements on Stockton Street between O'Farrell and Geary
  • The contractor will continue working two shifts on weekdays, from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. 
  • On Saturdays, work hours will be 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:

 

 

  • Stockton Street between Geary and Ellis is closed to all vehicles except emergency vehicles
  • Ellis Street between Stockton and the Ellis-O'Farrell Garage (between Stockton and Powell) is closed to westbound traffic
  • The 38/38L Geary may experience delays around Union Square
  • Sidewalks on Stockton Street between Ellis and Geary will remain open, but they may be narrowed to facilitate construction

More information about construction at this site is available in this construction notice and this press release. Photo of Chinatown Station property
This property on Washington Street is the future location of the Chinatown Station. Chinatown

 

Stockton Street from Sacramento to Broadway

No construction is planned to occur in Chinatown during the next 10 days. Photo of Pagoda theater
The Central Subway tunnel will end at this site in North Beach, now home to the old Pagoda Palace theater. North Beach

Columbus Avenue from Union to Filbert

On private property at 1731-1741 Powell Street, the contractor is preparing to construct a walled excavation known as a retrieval shaft at the site where tunneling will end. The two tunnel boring machines will be removed from the ground at this location.

Demolition of the building  on the site is slated to begin in June. Check out this construction notice for more details.

Planned construction thru June 3:

 

  • No construction planned

Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts thru June 3:

 

 

  • N/A

 

Central Subway Construction Fast Facts

Project Alignment: 4th Street between Berry and Market streets; Stockton Street between Market Street and Columbus Avenue; Columbus Avenue between Stockton and Filbert streets.

Transit Reroutes: The southbound 8X/8AX/8BX Bayshore Express, 30 Stockton, 45 Union/Stockton and 91 Owl Muni bus routes have been rerouted to accommodate construction in Union Square and SoMa. These reroutes will remain in effect throughout the duration of Central Subway construction. More information is available online here.

Contact Us: Should you have questions about construction or the Central Subway Project, don't hesitate to contact our team. You can reach us at central.subway@sfmta.com or by phone at 415-701-4371.

For More Information: The Central Subway team posts frequent project updates on a variety of social media outlets. To find out more about the project and construction progress, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Flickr, and check out our blog.

Construction schedules are subject to change.