16 August 2013 ~ 2 Comments

Construction Update | August 17-26

Construction Update North Beach SoMa Tunneling Union Square

130815_1008_Ellis

On Ellis Street, crews are drilling tubes into the earth underground. When the tunnel boring machines pass below, we will inject grout through the tubes, improving the ground.

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 will continue. No Central Subway construction is planned in Chinatown.

For descriptions of construction impacts in each neighborhood, click here or 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 August 26:

  • North Beach: For approximately five days, starting Monday, August 19, through traffic on Powell Street between Columbus Avenue and Union Street will be restricted during working hours (7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Local vehicle access to Powell Street will be provided from Union Street. At the end of each working day, the contractor will re-establish the regular traffic pattern. This temporary traffic modification will allow us to enhance public safety protections while demolishing the building’s facade. See this diagram for details. Parking will be impacted in front of the Pagoda Palace property. The sidewalk in front of the property may be closed.

At these locations, current construction impacts are planned to continue until August 26:

  • Southern SoMa (Harrison to King/Berry): Two lanes of traffic will remain open on 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant. On Bryant Street at 5th Street, the left lane and several parking spaces will remain closed.
  • 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.
  • Chinatown: No construction planned.
  • 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.

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

Be Sociable, Share!
  • Mitchell Bonner

    Where is the first tunneling machine? I was told it would move about 40 feet a day, so it should be near Howard st. by now.
    Your webpage is not providing information on the progress of the 1st tunneling machine.

  • Central Subway

    Hi Mitchell,

    The first tunneling machine just got completely out of the launch box (the excavation where tunneling began) this week. The machine, Mom Chung, has built about 400 feet of tunnel so far and is underneath 4th Street just north of Harrison Street.

    Tunneling will average about 40 feet per day over the course of 10 months, but it starts off more slowly than that. Early tunneling is called “test mining” because it involves perfecting the tunneling processes and making sure everything is working smoothly from a mechanical perspective. The TBM will also slow down when it is boring through underground walls (in SoMa and Union Square) and turning corners (at Market Street and in North Beach).

    Thanks for the question! Hope this helps.
    -The Central Subway Team