July 27-August 5, 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. No Central Subway construction is planned in Chinatown.
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 August 5:
- Union Square: Water line work will be underway on O'Farrell Street between Stockton and Powell from Monday to Friday next week. To facilitate this work, O'Farrell Street may be narrowed to one lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stockton Street between Geary and Ellis will remain closed to vehicle traffic. Ellis Street between Stockton and Powell will remain closed to westbound traffic.
- North Beach: Demolition of the Pagoda Palace is continuing in North Beach. Currently, preparatory activities, including removal of non-structural components of the building, are ongoing inside. Demolition of the building facade is planned to begin next week. To facilitate demolition, several parking spaces will be closed and Powell Street may be narrowed during construction hours. The sidewalk outside of the building will be impacted, and a temporary pedestrian walkway will be in place. For more information about demolition, check out this fact sheet.
At these locations, current construction impacts are planned to continue until August 5:
- Southern SoMa (Harrison to King/Berry): Temporary closures of 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant will continue on some evenings and weekends. 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.
- Northern SoMa (Market to Harrison): Two lanes of traffic will remain closed on 4th Street between Howard and Folsom. On 4th Street between Market and Stevenson, the sidewalk and two traffic lanes will remain closed on the eastern side of the street.
- Chinatown: 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 
Underground on 4th Street, tunnel boring machine Mom Chung has started digging. These concrete segments will form the lining of the tunnel.
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 tunneling begins. After assembly of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) underground, tunneling started this summer.
Planned construction:
- Install conveyer and facilities for TBM Mom Chung
- Construct tunnel for southbound trains
- 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 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. 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.
We are using this machine to improve ground conditions on 4th between Market and Stevenson.
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. Ground improvement work (jet grouting) is now in progress. 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. More information is available in this construction notice.
Planned construction (Market to Stevenson):
- Perform ground improvements
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Market to Stevenson):
- Two lanes on the eastern side of the street (near Ross) will be closed
- The sidewalk on the eastern side of the street may be closed. A protected pedestrian walkway will be in place around the construction zone when the sidewalk is closed.
Planned construction (Howard to Folsom):
- Perform ground improvements on the eastern side of the block
- Begin water line work
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Howard to Folsom):
- Two lanes of traffic will be closed on the western side of the block
- The sidewalks will not be impacted
- The crosswalk crossing 4th Street on the north side of Folsom will remain closed
Construction of underground walls continues on Stockton Street, at the site of the future Union Square/Market Street Station. 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:
- Demobilize ground improvement equipment
- Perform ground improvements
Stockton between O'Farrell and Geary:
- Install headwalls
Ellis between Stockton and Powell:
- Install ground improvement pipes in Ellis Street shaft
O'Farrell between Stockton and Powell:
- Excavate pit for water department work
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
- O'Farrell Street between Stockton and Powell may be narrowed to one lane between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- 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
No construction is planned to occur in Chinatown during the next 10 days. 
The Central Subway tunnel will end at this site in North Beach, now home to the old Pagoda Palace theater. 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. We expect this activity to take approximately one month to complete, including mobilization and site clean-up. Check out this fact sheet for more details.
Planned construction:
- Demolish non-structural building elements
- Mobilize demolition equipment
- Demolish building facade
- Construction hours will be Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- When the contractor is working inside the building (with no street or sidewalk impacts), work may continue until 5 p.m.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:
- Several parking spaces will be closed during construction hours
- 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.
- Powell Street between Union and Columbus will remain open to traffic, but the traffic lane may be narrowed
- The Muni 39 Coit will be temporarily rerouted, but no stops will be impacted. More information is available in our fact sheet.
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.