Construction Update
September 7-16, 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. Central Subway construction is planned to begin in Chinatown in mid-to-late September.
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 16:
- Northern SoMa (Market to Harrison): On 4th Street between Howard and Folsom, the construction zone will move from the east side of the street to the west side starting early next week. Two lanes of traffic will remain open at all times. On 4th Street between Market and Stevenson, two traffic lanes will remain closed on the east side of the street.
- Chinatown: No construction planned.
- North Beach: Work will be in progress within the Pagoda Palace this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Monday, September 9, from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., the contractor will remove a specialized excavator from the site. Equipment demobilization will require a brief closure of Powell Street between Union and Columbus and Union Street between Columbus and Powell. During this time, parking will be impacted on both blocks. At all other times, both streets will remain open and parking will be impacted only in front of the Pagoda Palace property.
At these locations, current construction impacts are planned to continue until September 16:
- 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. 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 
Our second tunnel boring machine, named Big Alma, is under assembly underground. 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
- Install and assemble TBM Big Alma
Traffic and pedestrian impacts:
- 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.
Construction at 4th and Market, shown here, finished up recently. 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.
In addition, the contractor is performing 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.
Planned construction (Market to Stevenson):
- Demobilize equipment
- 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
- Pressure test water line
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Howard to Folsom):
- Two lanes of traffic will be closed on the eastern side of the block until early next week
- Starting early next week, two lanes on the western side of the block will close, and the lanes on the eastern side will reopen.
- The sidewalk on the western side of the street will be narrowed until restoration is complete.
- The crosswalk crossing 4th Street on the north side of Folsom will remain closed.
These cranes are in use as we construct 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
- Remove covered walkways
Stockton between O'Farrell and Geary:
- Install headwalls
- Test permeability of underground wall
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
Central Subway construction is beginning this fall in Chinatown. To prepare to build the Chinatown Station, contractor Tutor Perini will demolish the existing building at 933-949 Stockton Street. Station construction will then follow.
Please join us on September 10 for a community meeting about upcoming work. The meeting will take place at the Gum Moon Women's Resicence, 940 Washington Street, at 4 p.m. More information is available online here.
Demolition of the Pagoda Palace continued this week. The machine called here pulled down the building's facade. North Beach
Powell Street from Union to 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.
Planned construction:
- Demolish building from within property lines
- 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.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:
- Several parking spaces will be closed in front of the property during construction hours.
- On Monday, September 9, from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., Union Street between Columbus and Powell, and Powell Street between Union and Columbus, will be closed to allow for removal of a specialized excavator. Parking will be impacted on both blocks. Three flaggers will assist with traffic flow in this area.
- 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
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.