Project Advancements
July 26 - August 4, 2014
During the next 10 days, Central Subway work continues at sites in SoMa, Union Square, Chinatown and North Beach. This section contains brief updates about what is happening in each neighborhood. For more detailed information, scroll down or click on the links below. You can also find construction, traffic detour, and Muni impact information on our project Google Map. For safety reasons, we encourage the public to follow all traffic and pedestrian notifications posted at the work sites.
Southern SoMa (Harrison to King/Berry): Potholing for utilities continues next week on 4th Street between Bryant and King. On Brannan between 4th and 5th Streets, work on utilities continues. Temporary walkways are in place around the construction zones.
Northern SoMa (Market to Harrison): At 4th and Folsom, work to build the Yerba Buena/Moscone Station continues. This includes construction of the station walls within the work site and water line replacement at the intersection of 4th and Folsom. Until Monday, July 28, 4th Street from Howard to Folsom streets will have one traffic lane. This area will continue to have a lane reduction overnight from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Union Square: Stockton Street between Ellis and Geary is closed to vehicular traffic to allow for construction of the Union Square/Market Street Station. Work is underway for pile installation to construct the station walls. For the month of July, Stockton Street between Post and Geary will be closed to vehicular traffic. Please use alternate routes and follow construction signs.
Pile installation takes place at the southwest intersection of Stockton and O'Farrell streets until August 18. One lane of travel will be open. Expect delays and please use alternative routes.
Muni service impact:
Until August 1, the bus stop at Geary and Stockton will be temporarily discontinued. Please board bus at Geary and Powell. Please check back on our weekly Construction Update for the most current information on the re-opening of this stop.
Chinatown: The contractor started station wall construction at the future station site and on the adjacent section of Washington Street. Work to replace high pressure water pipeline and install new fire hydrant on Washington is ongoing. A section of the sidewalk at the northeast corner of the Washington and Stockton intersection will be demolished in order to install a new fire hydrant.
North Beach: Work continues at 1731-1741 Powell. Sustainable Streets is constructing bulbs on Columbus Avenue between Filbert and Union streets, and widening the sidewalk on both sides of the street for this block. Street restoration work is expected to be completed by the end of August. More information is available in this notice.
We thank the businesses, residents, shoppers, and commuters of San Francisco for their continued engagement with this significant investment in the extension of our public transportation system.
The Central Subway Team 
Utility work continues on 4th Street between Bryant and Welsh.
Southern SoMa
4th Street from Harrison to King/Berry
On 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant streets, the contractor constructed a major excavation known as a launch box at the site where the Central Subway tunnels began. Underground operations are based here.
On 4th Street between Bryant and King streets, potholing for utilities is underway. Potholing involves drilling small holes and trenches in the street to confirm the locations of existing utility lines.
Planned construction (Harrison to Bryant):
- Removal of utilities and continued cleanup of southbound and northbound tunnels.
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Harrison to Bryant):
- The two lanes on the east side of 4th Street (left lanes for southbound traffic) will remain open to vehicle traffic except as described below.
- The block may close to traffic from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on weeknights and all day Saturday and Sunday.
- 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, the left lane and several parking spaces will be closed.
Planned construction (Bryant to King):
- Potholing underway. Work will be taking place on 4th Street within construction zones marked by cones.
- Work may involve jack-hammering and cutting holes in the road. Please expect an increase in noise.
- Work hours will be Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Continued installation of AT&T duct bank on the east side of 4th Street between Welsh and Bluxome.
- Utility work continues on Brannan and Townsend streets between 4th and 5th streets.
- Utility work continues on 5th Street between Brannan and Townsend streets.
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Bryant to King):
- Temporary partial lane closures will be in effect on 4th Street in the vicinity of the construction zone.
- Parking will be impacted in the vicinity of the construction zone. The contractor will post notification as required.
- Sidewalks may be impacted. The contractor will maintain a safe path of travel at all times.
- The contractor will maintain access to all businesses during business hours.
Multiple cement trucks are necessary to supply the material for the station walls seen here at the Yerba Buena/Moscone Station.
Northern SoMa
4th Street from Market to Harrison
On 4th Street between Howard and Folsom, work to construct the Yerba Buena/Moscone Station is now in progress. The construction of underground station walls and replacement of a water main is ongoing. Night work continues from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Planned construction (Howard to Folsom):
- Continue underground station wall construction.
- Continue replacing water line at intersection of Folsom and 4th.
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Howard to Folsom):
- Clementina between 4th and 5th streets is closed to through traffic. Please use this block for local access.
- The sidewalk on the west side of 4th Street between Clementina and Folsom is closed. To ensure pedestrian safety, please cross at 4th and Howard and use the sidewalk on the east side of 4th Street to access Folsom.
- Trucks will enter and exit the 4th and Folsom site during work hours. Flaggers will be on site to facilitate truck entry and exit.
- Lane closures will be in place along Folsom Street for the water line replacement work.
- Until Monday, July 28, 4th Street from Howard to Folsom streets will have one traffic lane. Next week this area continues to have an additional lane reduction overnight from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
One lane of Stockton Street from Post to Geary is scheduled to re-open in August.
Union Square
Stockton Street from Ellis to Post
On Stockton Street between Ellis and Post, contractor Tutor Perini is building the Union Square/Market Street Station. Construction is in progress with the roadway closed to vehicular traffic on Stockton between Ellis and Post.
On Ellis Street between Stockton and Powell streets, crews will continue with pile installation to construct station walls.
Planned construction (Stockton Street from Ellis to Post):
- Construction hours will be 24 hours a day Monday to Saturday, Sunday work may be required.
- Continue pile installation to construct station walls.
- Continue obstruction removal and pile installation on Stockton between Geary and Post.
- Until August 18, pile installation will take place at the southwest intersection of Stockton and O'Farrell streets.
- Removal and repair of utilities between Geary and Maiden Lane.
- Ongoing repair to mitigate flood damages on Geary between Stockton and Grant streets.
Planned construction (Ellis Street):
- Pile installation.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:
- Stockton Street between Ellis and Post is closed to vehicular traffic.
- Sidewalks will remain open, but they will be narrowed.
- Ellis Street between Stockton and the Ellis-O'Farrell Garage (between Stockton and Powell) will remain closed to westbound traffic.
- The bus stop at Geary and Stockton will be temporarily closed until August 1. Please board bus at Geary and Powell.
- At the intersection of Stockton and O'Farrell expect traffic to merge to one lane through August 18.
At the Chinatown Station, rebar cages are being used to strengthen the outer station walls.
Chinatown
Stockton Street from Sacramento to Jackson
On Stockton Street from Sacramento to Jackson, construction of Chinatown Station is underway within the property lines and nearby on Washington Street.
Planned construction:
- Construction of station walls.
- Construction hours are Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Rebar delivery between the hours of 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.
- Replacement of the high pressure water pipeline and installation of a new fire hydrant on Washington Street between Stockton and Spofford. Work hours are Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.
- Concrete being poured for the slurry wall. Work will end before 12 a.m.
- A section of the sidewalk on the northeast corner of Washington and Stockton will be demolished.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:
- Washington Street between Stockton and Trenton remains closed to vehicles and pedestrians.
- Washington Street between Powell and the construction zone has been converted into a two-way street.
- The parking lanes along Clay Street adjacent to Stockton Street may be closed during construction hours.
- Both parking lanes along Washington Street between Waverly and Stockton will be closed while fire hydrant work is conducted.
- Directional signage will be posted for impacted sidewalk.
At the North Beach retrieval shaft, workers load disassembled parts of TBM Big Alma.
North Beach
Powell Street from Union to Columbus
On private property at 1731-1741 Powell Street, the contractor is removing both TBMs.The contractor is on schedule to complete the major work at this location in the 4th quarter of 2014. With minor restoration activities to follow, the site will be vacated early January 2015.
Sustainable Streets is constructing transit bulbs on Columbus Avenue between Filbert and Union Streets, and widening the sidewalk on both sides of the street for this block. Street restoration work is expected to be completed by the end of August. More information is available in this notice.
Planned construction (1731-1741 Powell):
- Construction hours are 24 hours a day Monday to Friday with weekend and evening work required at times.
- To facilitate removal of the TBMs, work to transport the oversize equipment through the night will be required on a case-by-case basis.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts (1731-1741 Powell):
- Several parking spaces may be closed in front of the property and in the vicinity of Columbus Avenue and Union Streets.
- During the evening closure, sidewalk and parking may be impacted on either side of Powell Street.
Planned construction (Columbus and Union):
- Sustainable Streets is constructing transit bulbs on Columbus Avenue between Filbert and Union streets, and widening the sidewalk on both sides of the street for this block.
- Median restoration is occuring on Columbus Avenue between Union and Filbert.
- Street restoration work is expected to be completed by the end of August. More information is available in this notice.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts (Columbus and Union):
- Sidewalk and bus-stop closures will be in place to accommodate the above work. Directional signage will be posted.
Connecting People. Connecting Communities.
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: If you have questions about construction or the Central Subway Project 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.