Project Advancements
September 6 - September 15, 2014
During the next 10 days, Central Subway work continues at sites in SoMa, Union Square, Chinatown and North Beach. This section contains brief updates about what is happening in each neighborhood. For more detailed information, scroll down or click on the links below. You can also find construction, traffic detour, and Muni impact information on our project Google Map. For safety reasons, we encourage the public to follow all traffic and pedestrian notifications posted at the work sites.
Southern SoMa (Harrison to King/Berry): Excavation of a sewer man-hole continues on Freelon and 4th Street. Excavation of an AT&T vault to start on 4th and Bryant. Near Bluxome Street, installation of an AT&T vault to start. On Bryant Street, west of 4th Street, sewer installation to start next week. Temporary walkways are in place around the construction zones.
Northern SoMa (Market to Harrison): At 4th and Folsom, work to build the Yerba Buena/Moscone Station continues. This includes construction of the station walls within the work site and water line replacement at the intersection of 4th and Folsom. 4th Street from Howard to Folsom streets are reduced to one traffic lane until 5 a.m., Monday, September 8. Starting Monday, September 15, traffic lanes on 4th Street between Howard and Folsom will be reduced to one lane until early November.
Union Square: Stockton Street between Ellis and Geary is closed to vehicular traffic to allow for construction of the Union Square/Market Street Station. Work is underway for pile installation to construct the station walls.
Pile installation takes place at the southwest intersection of Stockton and O'Farrell streets until late September. One lane of travel will be open. Sidewalk closure is to take place overnight between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on the northeast corner of Stockton at O'Farrell for next three weeks. Expect delays and use alternative routes.
Muni service impact:
The bus stop at Geary and Stockton will be temporarily discontinued until late September. Please board bus on Geary at Powell. Check back on the weekly Construction Update for the most current information on the re-opening of this stop.
Chinatown: The contractor started station wall construction at the future station site at Stockton and Washington streets and the adjacent section of Washington Street. Work to replace the water pipeline and install a new fire hydrant on Washington is ongoing.
North Beach: Work continues at 1731-1741 Powell. Street restoration has been completed on Columbus Avenue between Filbert and Union. Sustainable Streets is scheduled to install new street lights and landscaping in the median on this portion of Columbus Avenue. This work will be completed by the end of 2014.
We thank the businesses, residents, shoppers, and commuters of San Francisco for their continued engagement with this significant investment in the extension of our public transportation system.
The Central Subway Team 
On Brannan Street between 4th and 5th streets, workers excavate 4th Street to work on the sewer line.
Southern SoMa
4th Street from Harrison to King/Berry
On 4th Street between Harrison and Bryant streets, the contractor constructed a major excavation known as a launch box at the site where the Central Subway tunnels began. Underground operations are based here.
Planned construction (Harrison to Bryant):
- Removal of utilities and continued cleanup of southbound tunnel.
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Harrison to Bryant):
- The two lanes on the east side of 4th 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.
- The sidewalk on the west side of the block will remain closed; the sidewalk on the east side of the block will remain open.
Planned construction (Bryant to King):
- Continued installation of AT&T duct bank on the east side of 4th Street between Bryant and Bluxome.
- Utility work continues on Townsend Street between 4th and 5th streets.
- Utility work continues on 5th Street between Brannan and Townsend streets.
- Continued excavation of a sewer man-hole on Freelon between 4th and Zoe streets.
- On the east side of 4th Street south of Bryant Street, excavation of an AT&T vault to begin.
- On the south side of Bryant, west of 4th Street, sewer installation to begin.
- Work may involve jack-hammering and cutting holes in the road and sidewalk. Please expect an increase in noise.
- Work hours will be Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Bryant to King):
- Street closure of Freelon on east side of 4th Street starting September 8.
- Temporary partial lane closures will be in effect on 4th Street and Bryant Street in the vicinity of the construction zone.
- Right lane of Interstate 80 off-ramp at Bryant and 4th streets will be temporarily closed.
- The Muni 47 Van Ness Line bus stop on the south side of Bryant Street at 4th Street will be temporarily relocated further west toward 5th Street.
- Parking will be impacted in the vicinity of the construction zone. The contractor will post notification as required.
- Sidewalk access may be limited. The contractor will maintain a safe path of travel.
- The contractor will maintain access to businesses during business hours.
On 4th Street between Howard and Folsom, construction crews continue with work on the future Yerba Buena/Moscone station .
Northern SoMa
4th Street from Market to Harrison
On 4th Street between Howard and Folsom, work to construct the Yerba Buena/Moscone Station is in progress. The construction of underground station walls and replacement of a water main is ongoing. Night work continues from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., Monday through Friday.
Planned construction (Howard to Folsom):
- Continue underground station wall construction.
- Continue replacing water line at intersection of Folsom and 4th.
- Remove underground wall on east side of 4th Street.
Traffic and pedestrian impacts (Howard to Folsom):
- Clementina between 4th and 5th streets is closed to through traffic. This block is for local access.
- The sidewalk on the west side of 4th Street between Clementina and Folsom is closed. Follow directional signs.
- Lane closures will be in place along Folsom Street for the water line replacement work.
- 4th Street from Howard to Folsom streets are reduced to one lane of traffic until 6 a.m., Monday, September 8.
- Starting September 15, expect 4th Street from Howard to Folsom streets to be reduced to one lane of traffic until early November.
Workers pour cement for the future Union Square/Market Street Station. Union Square
Stockton Street from Ellis to Post
On Stockton Street between Ellis and Post, contractor Tutor Perini is building the Union Square/Market Street Station. Construction is in progress with the roadway closed to vehicular traffic on Stockton between Ellis and Geary.
On Ellis Street between Stockton and Powell streets, crews will continue with pile installation to construct station walls.
Planned construction (Stockton Street from Ellis to Post):
- Construction hours will be 24 hours a day, Monday to Saturday, Sunday work may be required.
- Continue pile installation to construct station walls.
- Continue obstruction removal and pile installation on Stockton between Geary and Post.
- Pile installation at the southwest intersection of Stockton and O'Farrell streets.
- Overnight pile installation at the northeast intersection of Stockton and O'Farrell streets.
- Removal and repair of utilities between Geary and Maiden Lane.
Planned construction (Ellis Street):
- Pile installation.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:
- Stockton Street between Ellis and Geary is closed to vehicular traffic.
- Sidewalks will remain open, but they will be narrowed.
- Overnight sidewalk closure between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on the northeast corner of Stockton at O'Farrell streets for next three weeks.
- Ellis Street between Stockton and the Ellis-O'Farrell Garage (between Stockton and Powell) will remain closed to westbound traffic.
- The bus stop on Geary at Stockton will be temporarily closed until late September. Please board bus on Geary at Powell.
- At the intersection of Stockton and O'Farrell expect traffic to merge to one lane until late September.
Near the intersection of Stockton and Washington streets, excavation of the future
Chinatown Station site continues.
Chinatown
Stockton Street from Sacramento to Jackson
On Stockton Street from Sacramento to Jackson, construction of Chinatown Station is underway and nearby on Washington Street.
Planned construction:
- Construction of station walls.
- Construction hours are Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Rebar delivery between the hours of 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.
- Replacement of the high pressure water pipeline and installation of a new fire hydrant on Washington Street between Stockton and Spofford. Work hours are Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
- Concrete being poured for the slurry wall. Work will end before 12 a.m.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts:
- Washington Street between Stockton and Trenton remains closed.
- Washington Street between Powell and the construction zone has been converted into a two-way street.
- The parking lanes along Clay Street adjacent to Stockton Street may be closed during construction hours.
- Both parking lanes along Washington Street between Waverly and Stockton will be closed while fire hydrant work is conducted.
- Directional signage will be posted for impacted sidewalks.
Street lighting, sidewalk improvements, and landscaping are ongoing at Columbus Avenue
near Powell Street.
North Beach
Powell Street from Union to Columbus
On private property at 1731-1741 Powell Street, the contractor is removing the remaining TBM.The contractor is on schedule to complete the majority of work at this location in the 4th quarter of 2014. Minor restoration activities will follow and the site will be vacated in early January 2015.
Street lighting and landscaping will be completed on Columbus Avenue between Filbert and Union streets by the end of 2014.
Planned construction (1731-1741 Powell):
- Construction hours are 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday with weekend and evening work required at times.
- To facilitate removal of the TBM, work to transport the oversize equipment through the night will be required on a case-by-case basis.
Traffic, transit and pedestrian impacts (1731-1741 Powell):
- Several parking spaces may be closed in front of the construction area and in the vicinity of Columbus Avenue and Union Street.
- During the evening closure, sidewalk and parking may be impacted on either side of Powell Street.
Planned construction (Columbus and Union):
- New street lighting and landscaping is scheduled to be completed on Columbus Avenue between Filbert and Union streets. More information is available in this notice.
Connecting People. Connecting Communities.
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: If you have questions about construction or the Central Subway Project 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.