ATTN: IB 29 blocked on Gilman btwn Hawes and Bill Walsh Way due to heavy vehicle traffic. Expect 29 to reroute via Hawes to Gilman. No 29 svc btwn Hawes and Bill Walsh Way. (More: 5 in last 48 hours)

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Central Subway Construction Update 7/12/13

Construction Update

July 13-22, 2013

During the next 10 days, construction to prepare for tunneling will continue in SoMa and Union Square. In North Beach, demolition of the Pagoda Palace is planned to begin. No Central Subway construction is planned in Chinatown.

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 July 22:

 

  • Southern SoMa (Harrison to King/Berry): Full closure of 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant will continue some evenings and weekends, including all day Saturday, July 13. 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.
  • North Beach: Demolition of the Pagoda Palace Theater is scheduled to take approximately four weeks to complete. For more information about construction at this site, check out this fact sheet.

At these locations, current construction impacts are planned to continue until July 22:

 

 

  • Northern SoMa (Market to Harrison): Two lanes of traffic will remain closed on 4th Street between Howard and Folsom. On 4th Street between Market and Stevenson, the sidewalk and two traffic lanes will remain closed on the eastern side of the street.
  • 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

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 worker in Mom Chung's shield
Underground on 4th Street, we are putting the final touches on tunnel boring machine Mom Chung in preparation for 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 (TBM) underground, tunneling will start this summer.

Planned construction:

 

  • Test and commission TBM Mom Chung
  • Launch TBM Mom Chung
  • Install and assemble TBM Big Alma
  • Construct southbound subway tunnel

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.
ground stabilizing method
We are using this machine to improve ground conditions on 4th between Howard and Folsom.
Northern SoMa

 

4th Street from Market to Harrison

On 4th Street between Howard and Folsom streets, the contractor has constructed below-ground walls, called headwalls, at the site of the future Yerba Buena/Moscone Station. Ground improvement work (jet grouting) is now in progress. 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):

  • 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 may be closed. A protected pedestrian walkway will be in place around the construction zone when the sidewalk is closed.

Planned construction (Howard to Folsom):

  • Perform ground improvements on the eastern side of the block

Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Howard to Folsom):

  • Two lanes of traffic will be closed on the western side of the block
  • The sidewalks will not be impacted

Construction on Stockton Street
Construction of underground walls continues on Stockton Street, at the site of the future Union Square/Market Street Station. 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 headwalls and demolish guide walls on Stockton Street between Ellis and O'Farrell
  • Install headwalls on Stockton Street between O'Farrell and Geary
  • Install ground improvement pipes in Ellis Street shaft
  • 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 10 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

Powell Street from Union to Columbus

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.

The first phase of construction at this site is the demolition of the Pagoda Palace. We expect this activity to take approximately four weeks to complete, including mobilization and site clean-up. Check out this fact sheet for more details.

 

Planned construction:

 

  • Disconnect utilities within building
  • Set up pedestrian detour
  • Mobilize demolition equipment
  • Begin demolition
  • Construction hours will be Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:

  • The sidewalk in front of 1731-1741 Powell Street will be impacted
  • The Muni 39 Coit may be temporarily rerouted, but no stops will be impacted (see fact sheet for details)
  • Parking restrictions will be in effect in front of the Pagoda Palace on Powell Street and Columbus Avenue
  • Powell Street between Union and Columbus will remain open to traffic, but the traffic lane may be narrowed

Central Subway Construction Fast Facts

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