As part of the Sunset Tunnel Trackway Improvement Project, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will continue weekend construction on the Sunset Tunnel. The work will start at 2 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21 and continue until 3:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 23. The project includes seismic upgrades to the tunnel portal retaining walls and their foundations and replacement of aging track and other infrastructure inside the Sunset Tunnel, which will help improve safety and reliability of the N Judah rail service for Muni customers.
After the November 21 weekend, the construction will pause for the holidays. By then we will have performed 13 weekend shutdowns to complete over 70% of the work. During the holiday season, the staging areas next to the tunnel will remain. The new tracks and equipment staged will be properly secured. Parking restrictions for the weekend work will not be enforced. Minor work may take place intermittently during non-revenue hours. To ensure we keep the city moving, construction work had to be rescheduled to accommodate concurrent major events in the city. There will be four more weekend shutdowns scheduled for January and February of 2016. We are working diligently with the contractor to expedite the construction and will do the best we can to finish the work as quickly as possible.
Working concurrently with nightly subway communications work, the N Judah customers traveling to Caltrain on an N bus will have to do one of the two things: (1) Before the subway is closed starting at 9:30 p.m., transfer to the N Judah train at Church & Duboce traveling to Caltrain at 4th and King streets. OR (2) After 9:30 p.m., take Muni service on Market Street to Embarcadero and transfer to the T Third rail service to continue the trip.
To take advantage of the work window provided by the Sunset Tunnel construction, another crew will be working on the Transit Signal Priority (TSP) system upgrades at the intersection of Irving and 9th Avenue. The work will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday, Nov. 21. The intersection will remain open during construction. The southbound 44 O'Shaughnessy bus stop will be temporarily relocated from the southwest corner to the northwest corner of the intersection.
What to Expect during Sunset Tunnel Weekend Construction:
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Crews will work continuously from approximately 2 a.m. on Saturday until 3:30 a.m. on Monday.
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This weekend crews will be replacing the curve track at the eastern entrance of the tunnel at Duboce Avenue and Noe Street most of the time. Minor work will also take place at the western entrance.
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Noise control measures will be implemented; however the work will be audible throughout the weekend.
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The streets near the tunnel entrances will remain open.
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To accommodate the tunnel work, parking restrictions will become effective before the work starts on both sides of Duboce Avenue from Steiner to Scott Street, and on both sides of Carl Street from Clayton to Cole Street.
Weekend Bus Substitution Service:
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While Sunset Tunnel is closed for construction, bus shuttles will substitute for the N Judah rail service between Church & Duboce and Ocean Beach from about 5 a.m. Saturday until end of service at 2 a.m. on Monday.
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Regular N Judah rail cars will continue to provide service between Church & Duboce and 4th and King streets before 9:30 p.m.
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N Customers traveling to Caltrain will have to transfer to a T Third train at Embarcadero Station after 9:30 p.m.
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The N bus shuttles will follow the N Judah Line making regular stops except for the tunnel portion where buses will be routed to Haight Street.
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The N Judah stops at Church & Duboce will provide a transfer point between bus shuttles and trains for Muni customers.
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The weekend N Judah Owl bus service will not be affected.
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The J Church Line will switch back at Duboce and Fillmore after 9:30 p.m.
Other Ongoing N Judah System Improvement Projects:
Maximizing construction opportunities, the SFMTA has integrated multiple construction components under the Sunset Tunnel project in order to minimize the inconveniences for both N Judah riders and the community around the construction area.
The Transit Signal Priority (TSP) system upgrades are taking place at nine intersections sequentially along the N Judah Line. On the November 21 weekend, crews will be connecting the signal loops in the track way to the signal control boxes on the sidewalk at Irving Street and 9th Avenue. Here is information for the neighbors to know:
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Work hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
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Work will be on the sidewalk Friday and on the street and sidewalk Saturday.
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During construction the streets will remain open; however there will be lane closures and traffic will be diverted.
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Street parking at construction site will be temporarily unavailable.
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Driveway access will be maintained.
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There will be noise during excavation of the sidewalk and roadway.
The TSP system will use technology to reduce dwell time at traffic signals for Muni light rail vehicles by holding green lights longer.
The construction of the wheelchair accessible platforms on Judah and 28th Avenue was successfully completed in late March. The westbound and eastbound stops are now being served by N Judah trains.
The new platform include longer boarding islands and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant curb ramps, making Muni Metro system safer and easier to use for all customers.