This building in Chinatown will be demolished soon to make way for the Central Subway Chinatown Station.

Last month, we started the first construction activities to build the Central Subway’s stations, tracks and operating systems. This work will extend the Muni Metro T Third Line underground to improve public transit in some of San Francisco’s busiest neighborhoods. Once in operation, the Central Subway will cut travel times in half along congested Stockton Street and 4th Street while enhancing connections to BART, Muni Metro and Caltrain.

The first construction activities are preparatory in nature and include installing monitoring devices, putting up fences and removing hazardous materials at future subway station sites in Chinatown and SoMa. After completing this work, contractor Tutor Perini will demolish the existing structures at the sites of the future Chinatown Station (933-949 Stockton Street) and Yerba Buena/Moscone Station (260-266 4th Street). Station construction will follow.

At other locations, construction will commence later this year or in 2014. Construction timelines and impacts will vary significantly at the various project sites (more details below). Construction is expected to finish in 2018.

Over the next few years, we will build the Union Square/Market Street Station on Stockton Street. This rendering shows the station entrance that will be built in Union Square Plaza, at the corner of Stockton and Geary.

The construction is part of SFMTA Contract 1300 (Stations, Track and Systems), awarded to Tutor Perini, a leading California-based construction firm, earlier this year. As part of this contract, Tutor Perini will construct three subway stations, one surface-level station, 1.7 miles of train tracks and the operating systems for the T Third Line extension.

Tutor Perini has extensive experience in building public infrastructure in the Bay Area and around the country. Tutor Perini improved the seismic reliability of the Richmond Bridge and is currently building the expansion of the Caldecott tunnel in the East Bay, among numerous other major projects.

To inform local businesses, residents, property owners and community groups about construction timelines and impacts, the SFMTA and Tutor Perini will work in partnership to disseminate  information and host community meetings before major work begins. The public may learn about Central Subway community meetings and construction by signing up for the project’s weekly construction emails. An online signup form is available at http://eepurl.com/oOs-b.

Construction will take place at the sites of the four new stations, an on 4th Street south of the 1-80 overpass.

The following provides an overview of the work included in this major construction undertaking. More information is available in this press release from the SFMTA.

Construction will be in progress at various sites from September 2013 to February 2018. Timelines will vary significantly at each site. Additional information will be provided in the coming months.

Southern SoMa:

• Location: Along and under 4th Street, between Bryant Street and King Street.

• Main activities: Surface-level station at 4th and Brannan, surface-level tracks from King Street to the tunnel portal at Bryant Street, track reconfiguration at 4th and King streets to connect the Central Subway with existing T Third Line.

Northern SoMa:

• Location: Along and under 4th Street, between Howard and Folsom streets.

• Main activities: Demolition of gas station at 260 4th Street, construction of Yerba Buena/Moscone Station.

Union Square:

• Location: Along and under Stockton Street, between Geary and Ellis streets, and at the southeast corner of Union Square Plaza.

• Main activities: Union Square/Market Street Station, station entrance at southeast corner of Union Square Plaza, underground concourse connection to Powell Street Station.

Chinatown:

• Location: Along and under Stockton Street, between Stockton and Washington streets, and at 933-949 Stockton Street.

• Main activities: Demolition of 933-949 Stockton, construction of Chinatown Station at Stockton and Washington streets.

A tour group visits tunnel boring machine Mom Chung beneath busy 4th Street.

Tunnel boring machine Mom Chung is almost assembled and just about ready for launch. This summer, the 350-foot-long, 750-ton tunnel-building behemoth will begin her journey north beneath the streets of San Francisco, constructing the city’s first new subway tunnel in decades.

Last week we celebrated Mom Chung’s upcoming journey with an event at the site where tunneling will begin. After speeches by Mayor Edwin M. Lee, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi’s Chief of Staff Robert Edmonson, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim and others, guests toured the underground site where Mom Chung is being assembled. They sent her off by signing their names on her cylindrical shield, wishing her a safe and successful voyage beneath SoMa, Union Square, Chinatown and North Beach.

The photos below are of the event, held last Thursday on and below 4th Street. For more photos, visit us on Flickr. To find out more about the event, check out this press release from the SFMTA.

Before the event, the stage was set with safety gear for special guests and honored speakers.

Reporters set up cameras, preparing for the arrival of Mayor Lee and other special guests.

A cheerful Mayor Lee talks about the many benefits of the Central Subway — reducing travel times, connecting San Francisco’s neighborhoods and preparing for the growth expected in the city in coming years and decades.

Supervisors Jane Kim and David Chiu listen to Mayor Lee’s speech. The Central Subway (and Mom Chung) will travel through their districts.

Mayor Lee prepares to cut the cake decorated with TBM Mom Chung. Thanks to Victoria Pastry for creating this delicious treat.

Central Subway Program Director John Funghi leads the first tour of the excavation, known as a launch box, where Mom Chung is being assembled and will begin tunneling.

At the entrance to the launch box, tour goers look with awe upon Mom Chung.

Mayor Lee signs Mom Chung. The TBM will help build “our future San Francisco.”

Others, including Supervisor Chiu, sign their names and messages on the TBM.

Gina Low Weiss, grandniece of Dr. Margaret “Mom” Chung, after whom the TBM is named, signs her name and writes her message on the machine.

This section of Mom Chung, known as the trailing gear, performs a variety of functions, including carrying excavated spoils out of the tunnel and bringing concrete tunnel segments in.

After the tour, participants exited the launch box, returning outside to a warm, sunny day.

While the Stockton and Ellis entrance is closed, customers may use one of seven other entrances to access the Powell Street Station.

Starting Wednesday, April 24, the entrance to the Powell Street Station located at Stockton and Ellis streets will close to accommodate Central Subway construction. The closure of this entrance, also known as the Apple Store entrance, will be in effect for approximately five years to facilitate construction of the Central Subway tunnel and Union Square/Market Street Station.

When the Central Subway opens in 2019, this entrance will provide convenient access to the T Third Line at the future Union Square/Market Street Station. An underground concourse connection will link the Union Square/Market Street and Powell Street stations, allowing customers to transfer easily between the T Third Line and the BART and Muni Metro lines operating in the Market Street tunnel.

To facilitate access to Powell Street Station while the Apple Store entrance is closed, signage will direct customers to the nearest alternate entrance at 4th and Market streets.

We appreciate your continued patience while construction is in progress.

Mom Chung, shown here, will construct the tunnel for southbound trains. More photos of both TBMs are available on our Flickr page. (Photo courtesy of The Robbins Company)

We are excited to introduce Big Alma and Mom Chung, the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) that will excavate and construct the Central Subway tunnels. Named Big Alma, after “Big Alma” de Bretteville Spreckels, and Mom Chung, after Dr. Margaret “Mom” Chung, the machines will begin tunneling later this year, starting in SoMa and heading north under 4th Street and Stockton Street through Union Square, Chinatown and North Beach. A press release about the TBMs is available online here.

The first of the machines, Mom Chung, is expected to arrive in San Francisco in April. The 300-foot-long machine will be assembled within an excavation on 4^th Street between Harrison and Bryant streets and will start building the tunnel for southbound trains about two months later. Big Alma will arrive soon after Mom Chung to construct the northbound tunnel.

As tunneling proceeds, updates about the TBMs, including photos of the machines and the tunnels, will be posted on Twitter at the usernames @BigAlmatheTBM and @MomChungtheTBM. You can learn more about them on our website, at www.centralsubwaysf.com/tbm-name.

The front of the TBM, called the cutter head, spins as it excavates. In this photo Mom Chung is being tested before being disassembled for transport to San Francisco. (Photo courtesy of Barnard Impregilo Healy)

The names were selected by the public in an online poll held in January. Participants could select up to two names, one for each TBM. Of the 1,453 responses, Big Alma was the top vote-getter at 682 votes. Mom Chung took second place with 487 votes, closely followed by Firebelle Lil (451 votes), Mary Ellen (437 votes) and Juana (148 votes).

In tunneling tradition, the custom of naming TBMs is believed to bring good luck to tunneling projects. The names will remain in official use by the SFMTA and the tunneling contractor throughout the duration of the project.

“Big Alma and Mom Chung will construct San Francisco’s first new subway tunnel in decades, bringing together neighborhoods of our city that have long been in need of improved public transit,” said SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin. “We are happy to have included the public in this exciting part of tunneling tradition. We thank everyone who voted for contributing to this important project.”

Big Alma, shown here, is still being assembled. She will arrive in San Francisco after Mom Chung to construct the northbound tunnel.

Each TBM consists of a rotating cutter wheel (the cutter head), a cylindrical steel shell (the shield) and a 300-foot train of tunnel-building mechanisms (the trailing gear). The TBMs will arrive in several parts, to be assembled at the site on 4^th Street between Harrison and Bryant streets where tunneling will begin.

About the Winning Names:

“Big Alma” de Bretteville Spreckels (1881-1968): Known as “Big Alma” (she was 6 feet tall) and “The Great-Grandmother of San Francisco,” Alma de Bretteville Spreckels was a wealthy socialite and philanthropist who, among her many accomplishments, persuaded her first husband, sugar magnate Adolph B. Spreckels, to fund the design and construction of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor at Land’s End in San Francisco.  A model in her youth, Spreckels was the inspiration for the “Victory” statue atop the Dewey Monument in the center of Union Square.

Dr. Margaret “Mom” Chung (1889-1959) was the country’s first female Chinese-American physician, practicing in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown. During World War II she “adopted” more than a thousand “sons,” most of them American servicemen, mentoring them, sending them presents and sharing meals with them during and after the war. She was also one of the earliest supporters of women in the Navy. When one of her “sons” became a congressman, he filed the first legislation to create a female branch of the Navy in response to a phone call from “Mom Chung.”

The Pagoda Palace in North Beach, long considered an eyesore, will be demolished under a plan to relocate the retrieval site for the Central Subway’s tunnel boring machines.

For the past two months, SFMTA staff and multiple city agencies have been working to allow the relocation of the retrieval site of the Central Subway’s tunnel boring machines (TBMs) from Columbus Avenue to the Pagoda Palace (1731-1741 Powell Street). This effort has been undertaken in response to community concerns about construction and traffic disruption associated with the original plan.

On Wednesday the SFMTA completed lease negotiations with the owner of the Pagoda Palace. The lease, a major step forward in the agency’s efforts to relocate the retrieval site, allows for the demolition of the existing building and the use of the property to retrieve the TBMs. We thank the community, Mayor Lee, Supervisor David Chiu, numerous city agencies, and the property owner for their support and cooperation in achieving this agreement. You can view the press announcement about the lease agreement here.

Although several steps remain before the retrieval site relocation is finalized, yesterday two integral components of the relocation plan moved forward when the Planning Commission voted to approve a Conditional Use (CU) application and recommend a Special Use District (SUD) for the Pagoda Palace site. The SUD and CU would allow the owner of the Pagoda Palace to move forward with a previously approved development project after the building is demolished and the TBMs extracted.

In the coming weeks, items related to the relocation plan will be considered at the following meetings:

• On Tuesday, February 19, the SFMTA Board of Directors will consider the Pagoda Palace lease. This meeting will begin at 1 p.m. at City Hall, Room 400.
• On Monday, February 25, the Board of Supervisors’ Land Use Committee will consider the SUD. This meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall, Room 263.

As always, we welcome and encourage public comment at these meetings.

We will continue to keep you informed as we work to finalize the retrieval site change. We thank you for your continued participation as we work to respond to community concerns about construction in North Beach.

This construction site has been temporarily restored to traffic during the holiday season. Construction will resume here next week.

Next week traffic modifications on Stockton and Ellis streets near Union Square will recommence to accommodate construction of the Central Subway tunnel.

Beginning Wednesday, January 2, Stockton Street between Ellis and Geary streets will be closed to all vehicles except emergency vehicles. Ellis Street between Stockton Street and the Ellis-O’Farrell Garage will be closed to westbound traffic.

This section of Stockton Street is planned to remain closed throughout the duration of Central Subway construction around Union Square.

Access to local businesses, residences and driveways will be maintained. The Central Subway team will continue to work closely with communities, local businesses and organizations to inform them of construction impacts and to ensure that appropriate mitigation measures are in place.

More information, including detailed traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts, is available in this press release from the SFMTA.

We appreciate your continued patience while construction is in progress.

This construction site near Union Square will be restored and reopened to traffic during the holiday season.

During the holiday season, construction at some currently active Central Subway construction sites will pause, with roadways and pedestrian walkways restored to regular use. At other sites, construction will continue.

This blog post provides a summary of construction impacts between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. For a complete listing of construction impacts, including work hours and traffic and pedestrian impacts, check out this press release from the SFMTA.

No construction will occur at any sites on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.

Construction will continue at this site in SoMa, with the full closure of this block of 4th Street planned to remain in effect between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Here’s what you can expect in SoMa, Union Square, Chinatown and North Beach during the holiday season:

• Union Square (Stockton Street between Ellis and Geary, Ellis Street between Stockton and Powell): Construction will pause at the site of the future Union Square/Market Street Station. Stockton Street and Ellis Street will be paved and reopened to traffic by Thanksgiving Day. After New Year’s Day, this section of Stockton Street will again close to traffic, and construction on Ellis Street will also begin again.

• SoMa (4th Street between Harrison and Bryant): The contractor will work through the holiday season to construct a major excavation known as a launch box. 4th Street will remain closed to vehicle traffic. The sidewalk on the east side of the street will remain open to pedestrians. The on-ramp to westbound I-80 at 4th and Harrison may be closed on evenings and weekends.

• SoMa (4th Street between Folsom and Harrison): Starting in December, the contractor will be excavating shallow trenches on the east side of the road and installing pipes to be used for ground improvement related to tunneling. The easternmost lane (left lane for southbound traffic) may be closed during limited times during construction hours (Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.).

• SoMa (4th Street between Folsom and Howard): Construction of below-ground walls, called headwalls, at the site of the future Yerba Buena/Moscone Station will continue through the holiday season. At least three lanes on 4th Street will be open to traffic during regular construction hours (Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.). Night work may occur, and traffic may be reduced to two lanes between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The sidewalk on the western side of the street may be impacted. Pedestrian detours will be provided.

• Chinatown (Stockton Street between Sacramento and Vallejo): Construction will commence in December to install subsurface monitoring instruments related to the Central Subway tunnel. One lane on Stockton Street may be closed during construction hours in the vicinity of construction zones. Lane closures will impact traffic on up to two approximately half-block sections of Stockton Street at a time during construction hours (Monday to Friday, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.)

• North Beach (Columbus Avenue between Union and Filbert): This construction site will be paved and reopened to traffic by Thanksgiving. Central Subway crews will not be working in this area during the holiday season; however, AT&T may be performing work related to the Central Subway. AT&T’s work will involve a crew of approximately two people working inside manholes. No street excavation will occur as part of AT&T’s work.

We wish you a happy holidays, and we thank you for your continued patience as construction progresses.

The image above shows renderings of the four Central Subway stations. Clockwise from the top left: Chinatown Station, Union Square/Market Street Station, 4th and Brannan Station, Yerba Buena/Moscone Station. Additional renderings can be viewed online here.

This week a contract to construct the stations, track and operating systems for the Central Subway was advertised. The estimated $720 to $750 million contract includes construction of three subway stations, one surface-level station, train tracks and other components of the T Third Line extension through SoMa, Union Square and Chinatown.

The contract includes work that was previously divided into four separate construction contracts. Combining the contracts will allow the Central Subway Program to save time and money by eliminating constraints involved in coordinating and integrating four separate construction packages. It will also provide for a stronger and more consistent program to provide opportunities for small businesses and local residents seeking jobs.

“By providing much-needed job training for out-of-work San Franciscans and incorporating strong Small Business Enterprise participation goals, the Central Subway will benefit our community long before it is in service,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “As we build this crucial addition to our public transit system, this major contract will contribute greatly to our local economy.”

Combining the contracts has no impact on the Central Subway’s $1.6 billion budget. Bids for the contract are due January 23, 2013.

A meet-and-greet event for prospective prime contractors and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) firms will be held by the end of the year.

The contract includes several provisions to encourage local hiring and provide opportunities for small businesses and disadvantaged San Franciscans. It incorporates a robust Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal of 20 percent. In addition, the winning contractor will be required to set aside 50 percent of the trucking and hauling work for certified SBE firms.

The contract also includes $1.5 million to hire socially and economically disadvantaged individuals for entry-level jobs, such as general clean-up and pedestrian safety monitoring. In addition, the winning contractor will establish a Construction Management Trainee Program and to provide socially and economically disadvantaged individuals with at least 40,000 hours of on-the-job training for construction management positions. The contractor will work with the SFMTA Contract Compliance Office and community-based organizations to identify applicants for these jobs from the neighborhoods along the Central Subway alignment and elsewhere in San Francisco.

Construction of the following elements of the Central Subway is included in the contract:

• The Chinatown Station, a subway station with an entrance at Stockton and Washington streets;
• The Union Square/Market Street Station, a subway station with entrances at Stockton and Geary streets and Stockton and Ellis streets;
• A concourse connecting the Union Square/Market Street Station to the existing Powell Street Muni/BART Station;
• The Yerba Buena/Moscone Station, a subway station with an entrance at 4th and Clementina streets;
• The 4th and Brannan Station, a surface-level station on 4th Street between Brannan and Bryant streets;
• Surface tracks on 4th Street between 4th and King streets and the subway tunnel portal on 4th Street between Bryant and Harrison streets;
• Trackbed, tracks, switches and train control systems within the Central Subway tunnel.

A pre-bid conference for the contract is scheduled for November 27. A meet-and-greet for prospective prime contractors and SBE firms will be held by the end of the year.

More information about the contract is available on our project website’s Current Contracts page and in this press release from the SFMTA. Bid documents are available online here.

Federal, state and local officials gathered in Union Square yesterday to announce approval of federal funding for the Central Subway Project.

Yesterday Mayor Edwin M. Lee and key officials announced that an agreement dedicating $942.2 million in federal funds to the Central Subway Project has been approved. This major funding news finalizes the financing for extending the Muni Metro T Third Line through SoMa, Union Square and Chinatown.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Peter Rogoff, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu and other federal, state and local officials joined Mayor Lee to announce the approval of funding through the FTA’s New Starts program.

“When the Central Subway is complete, our city will see a stronger economy, a larger workforce, decreased pollution, less congestion, and faster, safer commutes,” said Leader Pelosi. “Working with partners and leaders from government, business, and the community, this project will serve as an economic engine for our city, improve and enhance our infrastructure, and connect the diverse communities of San Francisco.”

A major improvement over existing transit service along the congested 4th Street and Stockton Street corridors, the Central Subway will cut travel times by more than half compared to current Muni bus routes. In addition, construction of this major infrastructure project will create thousands of jobs, both directly and indirectly, and provide a boost to the local economy.

The announcement took place at a ceremony held at the future site of the Union Square/Market Street Station. More information about the Central Subway and this exciting funding news is available in this press release from Mayor Lee.

Here are some photos of the event:

Secretary LaHood announced approval of the federal funds, earning a round of applause from attendees.

Democratic Leader Pelosi, a longtime advocate for the Central Subway, spoke about her experiences trying to catch Muni buses along the congested Stockton Street corridor. Crowded buses crawl along Stockton Street at a rate as slow as three miles per hour.

Senator Feinstein, a strong supporter of the project, spoke about the major improvements to public transit the Central Subway will provide. With the addition of the Central Subway, the T Third Line is projected to become the most heavily used line in the Muni Metro system by 2030.

Congresswoman Speier spoke about the major transit investments planned for the Bay Area, including the Central Subway, California high-speed rail and the electrification of Caltrain. Investments like these will vastly improve the Bay Area’s transportation network.

FTA Administrator Rogoff signs a ceremonial document confirming the New Starts grant. New Starts has contributed $92.4 million to the Central Subway Project to date. The remaining amount will be distributed in annual allocations as the project progresses.

The Central Subway will connect to BART, Caltrain, Muni Metro, Muni bus routes, Muni cable car lines and, in the future, high-speed rail, significantly improving San Francisco’s and the Bay Area’s public transportation network. It is expected to open to the public in 2019.

This entrance to the Powell Street Station, located next to the Apple Store at Stockton and Ellis streets, will close next Monday.

***UPDATE AUGUST 27: The Apple Store entrance to the Powell Street Station will remain open past August 27. We will provide additional information soon.***

Starting next Monday, August 27, the entrance to the Powell Street Station located at Stockton and Ellis streets will close to accommodate Central Subway construction. The closure of this entrance, also known as the Apple Store entrance, will be in effect for approximately six years to facilitate construction of the Central Subway tunnel and Union Square/Market Street Station.

When the Central Subway opens in 2019, this entrance will provide convenient access to the T Third Line at the future Union Square/Market Street Station. An underground concourse connection will link the Union Square/Market Street and Powell Street stations, allowing customers to transfer easily between the T Third Line and the BART and Muni Metro lines operating in the Market Street tunnel.

To facilitate access to Powell Street Station while the Apple Store entrance is closed, signage will direct customers to the nearest alternate entrance at 4th and Market streets.

More information is available in this press release from the SFMTA.

We appreciate your continued patience while construction is in progress.