As part of the Sunset Tunnel Trackway Improvement Project, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will resume weekend construction on the Sunset Tunnel. The work will start at 2 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 and continue until 3:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 25. The project includes seismic upgrades to the tunnel portal retaining walls and their foundations and replacement of aging track and other infrastructure inside the Sunset Tunnel, which will help improve safety and reliability of the N Judah rail service for Muni customers.
After the weekend of Jan. 23, we will have performed 14 weekend shutdowns to complete over 80% of the work. There will be three more weekend shutdowns scheduled for 2016. The tentative dates are Feb. 12-14, Feb. 26-28 and Mar. 4-6. We are working diligently with the contractor to expedite the rest of the construction and will do the best we can to finish the work as quickly as possible.
To accommodate Super Bowl 50 related events, the Muni subway, which has been closing every night at 9:30 p.m. in support of the subway communications system upgrade projects, will open to resume train service starting on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016. As a result, the N Judah customers traveling to Caltrain on an N bus after 9:30 p.m. can take the N Judah train at Church & Duboce to travel directly to Caltrain at 4th and King streets, instead of transferring to a bus shuttle on Market Street.
To take advantage of the work window provided by the Sunset Tunnel construction, another crew will be working on the Transit Signal Priority (TSP) system upgrades in the trackway on Judah Street between 34th and 38th avenues. The work will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 and Sunday, Jan. 24. The intersections will remain open during construction. The westbound wheelchair accessible platform at Sunset Boulevard served by bus shuttles will be temporarily relocated to the curbside between Sunset Boulevard and 37th Avenue. The eastbound accessible platform at 37th Avenue will move to the exiting curbside stop next to the island stop. Bus shuttles will provide accessible service at the curb.
What to Expect during Weekend Construction at Sunset Tunnel:
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Crews will work continuously from approximately 2 a.m. on Saturday until 3:30 a.m. on Monday.
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Majority of the weekend work will involve with replacing the curve track at the eastern entrance of the tunnel at Duboce Avenue and Noe Street.
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Noise control measures will be implemented; however the work will be audible throughout the weekend.
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The streets near the tunnel entrances will remain open.
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To accommodate the tunnel work, parking restrictions will become effective before the work starts on both sides of Duboce Avenue from Steiner to Scott Street, and on both sides of Carl Street from Clayton to Cole Street.
Weekend Bus Substitution Service:
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While Sunset Tunnel is closed for construction, bus shuttles will substitute for the N Judah rail service between Church & Duboce and Ocean Beach from about 5 a.m. Saturday until end of service at 1 a.m. on Monday.
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Regular N Judah rail cars will continue to provide service between Church & Duboce and 4th and King streets.
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The N bus shuttles will follow the N Judah Line making regular stops except for the tunnel portion where buses will be routed to Haight Street.
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The N Judah stops at Church & Duboce will provide a transfer point between bus shuttles and trains for Muni customers.
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The weekend N Judah Owl bus service will not be affected.
Other Ongoing N Judah System Improvement Projects:
Maximizing construction opportunities, the SFMTA has integrated multiple construction components under the Sunset Tunnel project in order to minimize the inconveniences for both N Judah riders and the community around the construction area.
The Transit Signal Priority (TSP) system upgrades are taking place at nine intersections sequentially along the N Judah Line. On the January 23 weekend, crews will be laying the signal loops and conduits in the trackway on Judah Street between 34th and 38th avenues. Here is a note for the neighbors:
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Work hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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During construction the streets will remain open; however there will be lane closures and traffic will be diverted.
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Street parking at construction site will be temporarily unavailable.
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Driveway access will be maintained.
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There will be noise during excavation of the sidewalk and roadway.
The TSP system will use technology to reduce dwell time at traffic signals for Muni light rail vehicles by holding green lights longer.
The construction of the wheelchair accessible platforms on Judah and 28th Avenue was successfully completed in late March 2015. The westbound and eastbound stops are now being served by N Judah trains.
The new platform include longer boarding islands and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant curb ramps, making Muni Metro system safer and easier to use for all customers.
Thank you for your understanding and patience while we work to improve your Muni system.