Construction Update
March 9-18, 2013
During the next 10 days, construction to prepare for tunneling will continue in SoMa and Union Square. No Central Subway construction is planned to occur in Chinatown or North Beach.
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 March 18:
- Southern SoMa (Harrison to King/Berry): Full closure of 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant will be in effect from Friday, March 8, at 8 p.m. until Sunday, March 10. At all other times, two lanes of traffic will remain open on this block. Launch box construction will continue.
- Union Square: Starting next week, the contractor will begin working extended hours (until 10 p.m.) on weekdays and during the day on Saturdays. Stockton Street between Geary and Ellis will remain closed to vehicle traffic. Ellis Street between Stockton and Powell will remain closed to westbound traffic.
At these locations, current construction impacts are planned to continue until March 18:
- Northern SoMa (Market to Harrison): One lane will remain closed to traffic on 4th Street between Market and Stevenson. Two lanes of traffic will remain closed on 4th Street between Howard and Folsom. One lane will remain closed on 4th Street between Folsom and Harrison.
- Chinatown: No construction planned
- North Beach: No construction planned
We appreciate your patience and support while we build this essential upgrade to San Francisco's public transportation system.
-The Central Subway Team 
At the site where tunneling will begin, crews constructed a retaining wall near the ramp that enters the excavation. Southern SoMa
4th Street from Harrison to King/Berry
On 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant streets, the contractor is constructing a major excavation known as a launch box at the site where tunneling will begin this year.
Planned construction:
- Install launch box supports
- Continue launch box and access ramp excavation
- Construct launch box floor slab
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 except as described below
- From Friday, March 8, at 8 p.m. until Sunday, March 10, the block will be closed to vehicle traffic.
- The on-ramp to westbound I-80 may be closed from 8 p.m. to 4 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
Traffic and pedestrian controls are in place. For more information on construction impacts at this site, check out this blog post. 
On 4th Street north of Harrison, this machine is used to install subsurface piping related to ground improvements. Northern SoMa
4th Street from Market to Harrison
On 4th Street between Howard and Folsom streets, the contractor is constructing below-ground walls, called headwalls, at the site of the future Yerba Buena/Moscone Station. The walls will cross 4th Street at two points on this block. 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 Folsom and Harrison. More information is available in this construction notice.
Ground improvement work on 4th Street between Market and Stevenson is also underway. For more information on upcoming construction at this site, check out this construction notice.
Planned construction (Market to Stevenson):
- Pothole for utilities and construct trenches for ground improvements
- Pavement breaking is required for this work. Neighbors may experience a temporary increase in construction noise while pavement breaking is in progress.
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Market to Stevenson):
- One lane on the eastern side of the street (near Ross) will be closed
- The taxi stand will be impacted.
Planned construction (Howard to Folsom):
- Construction of new water line
- Construction of subsurface walls (headwalls)
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Howard to Folsom):
- At least two lanes of traffic on 4th Street will remain open at all times
- Work will be underway on the eastern side of the block, with at least two lanes open on the western side of the block (right lanes for southbound traffic)
- The sidewalks will not be impacted
Planned construction (Folsom to Harrison):
- Install subsurface piping for ground improvements
- Begin ground improvement
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Folsom to Harrison):
- One lane on the eastern side of the street (near Pacific Bicycle and Whole Foods) will be closed
- The crosswalk crossing 4th Street at Clara Street may be temporarily closed when construction is in progress
A covered walkway has been installed on Stockton Street next to the site where crews are installing underground walls. 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:
- Install headwalls on Stockton between Ellis and O'Farrell
- Excavate ground improvement shaft on Ellis Street
- Install safety barrier around ground improvement shaft on Ellis Street
- Starting Monday, March 11, the contractor will begin working two shifts on weekdays and one shift on Saturdays. Weekday work hours will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday work hours will be 6 a.m. to 5 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
- On Saturday, March 2, O'Farrell Street near Stockton Street will be reduced to one lane during work hours to accommodate PG&E's work.
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
No construction is planned to occur in Chinatown during the next 10 days. 
No construction is planned in North Beach in the next 10 days. North Beach
Columbus Avenue from Union to Filbert
No construction is planned to occur in North Beach during the next 10 days.
Central Subway Construction Fast Facts
Project Alignment: 4th Street between Berry and Market streets; Stockton Street between Market Street and Columbus Avenue; Columbus Avenue between Stockton 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.