Construction Update
September 14-21, 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 will continue. Sewer slip lining at the intersection of Columbus Avenue, Stockton Street and Green Street will begin Monday, September 16.
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 September 23:
- North Beach: Work will be in progress within the Pagoda Palace this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During this time, parking may be impacted. At all other times, both streets will remain open and parking may be impacted only in front of the Pagoda Palace property.
On Monday, September 16, sewer slip lining at the intersection of Green Street, Stockton Street and Columbus Avenue will begin. Construction is expected to last approximately a month.
The tunnel contractor is anticipated to begin preparatory work of the retrieval shaft on September 18. - Northern SoMa (Market to Harrison): On 4th Street between Howard and Folsom, and Market and Stevenson, the contractor will be restoring the roadway. Four lanes of traffic will be opened by Friday, September 20 .
Station construction for the Yerba Buena/Moscone Station is anticipated to begin the week of September 23.
- Chinatown: Construction is anticipated to begin the week of September 23.
At these locations, current construction impacts are planned to continue until September 23:
- Southern SoMa (Harrison to King/Berry): 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant may fully close some evenings and weekends to allow for the installation of tunnel boring machine segments. Two lanes of traffic will remain open at all other times. I-80 on ramp at 4th and Harrison streets will be closed Monday night from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. 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.
We appreciate your patience and support while we build this essential upgrade to San Francisco's public transportation system.
-The Central Subway Team 
Crews continue to prepare tunnel boring machine Big Alma for tunneling. 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 the Central Subway tunnel begins. After assembly of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) underground, tunneling started this summer. Assembly of a second TBM is now in progress.
Planned construction:
- Install conveyor and facilities for TBM Mom Chung
- Assemble TBM Big Alma and trailing gear
Traffic and pedestrian impacts:
- I-80 on ramp at 4th and Harrison streets will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on Monday, September 16.
- The two lanes on the east side of the street (left lanes for southbound traffic) will remain open to vehicle traffic.
- 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.
At 4th and Market, crew will be preparing to restore roadway next week. Work will recommence a few months from now when the TBMs pass beneath this area.
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. Road restoration on the east side will begin next week. For more information on construction at this site, check out this blog post.
The contractor completed ground improvement work (installation of compensation grout tubes) on 4th Street between Market and Stevenson. Road restoration on the east side will begin next week. More information is available in this construction notice.
Station construction for the Yerba Buena/Moscone Station is anticipated to begin the week of September 23.
Planned construction (Market to Stevenson):
- Restore roadway
- Construction will resume when the tunnel boring machines pass beneath this area (approximately November)
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Market to Stevenson):
- Two lanes on the eastern side of the street (near Ross) will be closed until the roadway has been restored
Planned construction (Howard to Folsom):
- Perform site restoration
- Restore roadway
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Howard to Folsom):
- Two lanes of traffic will be closed until the roadway has been restored
Crews are constructing underground walls on Stockton Street. 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:
Stockton between Ellis and O'Farrell:
- Perform ground improvements
Stockton between O'Farrell and Geary:
- Install headwalls
- Complete permeability testing of underground walls
Ellis between Stockton and Powell:
- Install ground improvement pipes in Ellis Street shaft
All blocks:
- 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. 
This property on Washington Street is the future location of the Chinatown Station. Chinatown
Stockton Street from Sacramento to Broadway
To prepare to build the Chinatown Station, contractor Tutor Perini will demolish the existing building at 933-949 Stockton Street. Station construction is anticipated to begin the week of September 23.
Demolition of the Pagoda Palace continued this week. North Beach
Powell Street from Union to Columbus and Stockton and 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. Check out this fact sheet for more details. The second phase of construction is to construct the retrieval shaft.
On Monday, September 16, crews will be improving the sewer line at the intersection of Stockton/Green and Columbus. More information is available here.
The tunnel contractor is anticipated to begin preparatory work of the retrieval shaft on September 18.
Planned construction:
- Complete demolition of building
- Construction hours are Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., though work may continue inside the building until 5 p.m.
- Work will be in progress inside the property lines this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Construction of the soundwall around the property is anticipated to begin Wednesday, September 18. Construction hours are Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sewer slip lining at the intersection of Green Street, Stockton Street and Columbus Avenue
- Construction hours at the intersection of Columbus Avenue, Stockton Street and Green Street are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:
- Several parking spaces may be closed in front of the property during construction hours.
- The sidewalk in front of the property may be closed. A temporary walkway will be in place around the construction zone when the sidewalk is closed.
- Except as described above, Powell Street between Union and Columbus will remain open to traffic, but the traffic lane may be narrowed
- The Muni bus stop on Stockton and Green streets for the 30 Stockton, 45 Union/Stockton and 8X/8BX will be temporarily relocated to Stockton and Vallejo streets during construction hours.
- Parking on Stockton Street between Green to Vallejo street will be impacted.
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.