Construction Update
September 21-30, 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. In Chinatown, work to prepare for station construction is commencing.
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 30:
- Northern SoMa (Market to Harrison): 4th Street between Howard and Folsom reopened to traffic today and will remain open until station excavation begins. On 4th Street between Market and Stevenson, three lanes of traffic will be open beginning Monday, Sept. 23. On 4th Street between Folsom and Harrison, the parking lane and one lane of traffic on the east side of the street may close next week to allow for ground improvement work.
- Chinatown: Starting next week, station contractor Tutor Perini will install monitoring devices and abate pests at the Chinatown Station site (933-949 Stockton Street). Several parking spaces may be closed on the east side of Stockton Street and on both sides of Washington Street adjacent to the building. This work will not impact transit or pedestrian walkways.
- North Beach: The contractor will off-haul materials from the Pagoda Palace and spread gravel to grade the site this Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On weekdays, construction will be in progress during regular work hours (7 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Parking and walkways may be impacted in front of the Pagoda Palace property while demolition is in progress.
At these locations, current construction impacts are planned to continue until September 30:
- 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 
Crews continue to prepare tunnel boring machine Big Alma for tunneling. 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
- Construct tunnel for southbound trains
- Test and commission 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.
Taken from a nearby rooftop, this shot shows crews restoring the roadway on 4th Street between Howard and Folsom this week.
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. Preparatory work for station construction is now commencing within the site of the old 76 gas station.
The contractor completed ground improvement work (installation of compensation grout tubes) on 4th Street between Market and Stevenson. Road restoration is in progress.
On 4th Street between Folsom and Harrison, the contractor will soon begin ground improvements while the tunnel boring machines pass beneath the roadway.
Planned construction (Market to Stevenson):
- Restore roadway
- Construction will resume when the tunnel boring machines pass beneath this area
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Market to Stevenson):
- Two lanes on the eastern side of the street (near Ross) will be closed until Monday, Sept. 23
- Starting Sept. 23, three lanes will be open to traffic.
Planned construction (Howard to Folsom):
- Perform site surveys for station construction
- Abate hazardous materials at 260-266 4th Street (former 76 gas station site)
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Howard to Folsom):
- None planned
Planned construction (Folsom to Harrison):
- Test ground conditions and improve ground
- Construction is expected to start next week
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Folsom to Harrison):
- The parking lane and one lane of traffic on the eastern side of the street (in front of Whole Foods) may be closed
Our Ellis Street construction site as seen from the roof of 801 Market 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 permeability tests of underground walls
- Stockton between O'Farrell and Geary: Install headwalls
- Ellis between Stockton and Powell: Perform ground improvements from inside the Ellis Street shaft
- On Stockton Street, 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 12:30 a.m.
- On Ellis Street, the contractor will work 24 hours a day on weekdays
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
To prepare to build the Chinatown Station, contractor Tutor Perini will demolish the existing building at 933-949 Stockton Street. Preparatory construction begins the week of September 23.
Planned construction:
- Abate pests within 933-949 Stockton
- Perform pre-construction surveys
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:
- Several parking spaces may be closed on the west side of Stockton Street and both sides of Washington Street in front of the building.
Demolition of the Pagoda Palace continued this week. 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. The second phase of construction is to construct the retrieval shaft.
Planned construction:
- Demolish building
- Construction hours from Monday to Friday are 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 and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The contractor will off-haul materials and grade the site with gravel during these times.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:
- Several parking spaces may be closed in front of the property 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.
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.