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 8 p.m. on Friday, April 15 and continue until 3:30 a.m. on Monday, April 18. During construction bus shuttles will substitute for the N Judah rail service between Ocean Beach and Church and Duboce streets.
Since November 2014, the SFMTA has been working diligently on weekends to replace the aging tracks and upgrade other infrastructure inside the tunnel, including Overhead Catenary System (OCS), fire sprinkler and track switch systems. After this weekend, tunnel work will continue at night after service hours with no impacts to Muni service. If the construction requires more shutdowns, it will be coordinated with other projects.
What to Expect during Weekend Construction at Sunset Tunnel:
- Crews will work continuously from about 8 p.m. on Friday until 3:30 a.m. on Monday.
- Noise control measures will be implemented; however the work will be audible throughout the weekend.
- The streets near the tunnel entrances will remain open.
- 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.
- However, the contractor will make some parking spaces available next to Duboce Park to accommodate the Dogfest on Saturday.
- The SFMTA has reserved the parking spaces on Pierce Street next to the park for the Dogfest.
Weekend Bus Substitution Service:
- While Sunset Tunnel is closed for construction, bus shuttles will replace the N Judah rail service between Ocean Beach and Church & Duboce during service hours from about 7 p.m. on Friday until end of service at 1 a.m. on Monday.
- Regular N Judah trains will continue to provide service between Church & Duboce and 4th and King streets.
- The N Judah stops at Church & Duboce will provide a transfer point between bus shuttles and trains for Muni customers.
- The weekend N Judah Owl bus service will not be affected.
- Bus arrival predictions will be available on NextMuni for the N bus service only.
Other Ongoing N Judah System Improvement Projects:
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. This weekend crews will be patching the streets with asphalt at the intersection of Judah Street and Sunset Boulevard, and Judah Street and 18th Avenue.
- Work hours will be 8 to 10 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
- Streets will remain open; however there will be lane closures and traffic will be diverted.
- Street parking at construction site will be temporarily unavailable.
- Driveway access will be maintained.
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 in service for the N Judah customers. To provide safer and easier access to the N Judah island stops, the SFMTA will install Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps on Judah and 27th, 28th and 29th avenues. The work will start the week of May 2, and will last through July, 2016.