Van Ness Improvement Project Works to Reduce Delays as Work Zones Shift

As the second half of the Van Ness Improvement Project’s utility work gets underway, teams are accelerating work and reducing delays. Armed with lessons learned from the first half of the utility work, changes to procedures and increases in staffing, the project team aims to launch San Francisco’s first Bus Rapid Transit service ahead of its projected fall 2021 start date.

Several efforts are helping to expedite the remainder of the Van Ness corridor utility work as teams are using proactive approaches to address conflicts underground when crews find underground conditions aren’t as they appear on drawings. When this happens teams must stop work and deploy its crews to work elsewhere on the corridor while the conflict is identified and addressed. Once the obstruction is identified, either the item is removed from the site or a redesign of the work plan must be done to find a way to work around the obstruction. To address the high number of conflicts, teams are now using ground-penetrating radar to look for changes in density in the soil beneath before work begins. Teams are also using “potholing” to expedite this work, cutting a hole in the roadway to dig below and confirm whether conditions match site drawings. Resequencing work has also allowed construction crews to jump to the next site to keep the project moving forward.

In July, the Van Ness Improvement Project shifted traffic lanes and construction zones for utility work to continue on the opposite side of Van Ness Avenue. Crews continue replacing the 1800s-era water and sewer systems beneath Van Ness, reducing their vulnerability to damage from earthquakes and minimizing potential service outages. Portions of the emergency firefighting water system, that supplies more than 1,200 fire hydrants through San Francisco, is also being overhauled and new street and sidewalk lighting and landscaping is being installed. Projected to finish construction in summer 2021, the contractor is working to continue reducing delays.

Businesses needing assistance during construction with signage, housekeeping, loading zones, technical assistance or any other concerns are encouraged to contact 415-646-2310 or send us an email.