Crunch Time at Edgewood Road

Crews are now across the entirety of Edgewood Road to ensure we meet our environmental deadlines at creek crossings. The new drinking water pipeline is currently installed at two of three creek crossings. In order to complete the final creek crossing and restore the areas by the environmental deadline we may work on Saturdays and Sundays for the next few weekends. The work hours for the weekends approved by the County will be 9am to 5pm.

Restoration is Happening

Restoration is beginning in many places along the Right of Way. Fences are being installed in Redwood City near Fleishman Park and in North Fair Oaks around Marlborough Road. The play structure at Fleishman Park is almost complete and the baseball field at Flood Park is being hydroseeded this Saturday. Commercial restoration plans are nearly finalized for many locations. Curbs and gutters are being replaced in Redwood City between Woodside Road and El Camino Real.

Play structure at Fleishman Park

Construction Update

San Mateo County
• Continue work at Pulgas valve vault (in Pulgas Open Space)
• Continuing pipe installation along Edgewood Road. Saturday and Sunday work along Edgewood Road. Work hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Flood Park restoration is in progress. The baseball field will be hydroseeded this Saturday
Redwood City
• Restoration is continuing at Fleishman Park
• Curb and gutter repair work between Woodside Road and El Camino Real
North Fairs Oaks
• Installing pipe at the Redwood City valve house on El Camino Real
• Fence installation
Menlo Park
• Tunneling started under Hwy 101 from Iris Lane eastward
• Repaving and curb repairs are taking place along Ivy Drive
East Palo Alto
• Repaving and curb repairs on Purdue and Rutgers

Check back on Monday for more photos of our fence restoration and other progress.

Fence Restoration has Begun!

Fence restoration has started in areas of North Fair Oaks and Redwood City. The project is starting fence restoration at the Right of Way (ROW) near the intersection of Buckingham Ave and Marlborough Ave in North Fair Oaks just west of the CalTrain tracks. From there fence installation will move through areas of Redwood City and into North Fair Oaks west of the CalTrain tracks.

This is a major step in our effort to return the Right of Way to your neighborhoods this fall. Fence restoration includes grading, marking post locations, staking out fence lines and then installing the fence in the ROW. These steps will take place linearly along the fence restoration areas. We anticipate beginning construction on the redwood fences as early as Tuesday.

SFPUC ENCROACHMENT PERMIT HOLDERS: If you own a bisected parcel and have been offered a SFPUC encroachment permit for use of the ROW please ensure that all of your documentation has been returned (including insurance and fees). Without a fully executed permit, you will not have a fence replaced and you will not be allowed use of the SFPUC ROW. A reminder letter will be mailed to you from the SFPUC Right of Way Dept. If you do not know the status of your permit please email baydivision@sfwater.org with your name, address, and your questions regarding your permit.

Construction Update

San Mateo County

• Continue work at Pulgas valve vault (in Pulgas Open Space)
• Continuing pipe installation along Edgewood Road and at the three creek crossings. Saturday work will continue in along Edgewood Road. Work hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Flood Park restoration is in progress

Redwood City

• Restoration is continuing at Fleishman Park

North Fairs Oaks

• Installing pipe at the Redwood City valve house on El Camino Real
• Completing work at the CalTrain jack and bore on Westmoreland Ave and on the other side of the tracks on Pacific Ave

Menlo Park

• Preparing to tunnel under Hwy 101 next week. Finishing the jack and bore pits at Iris Lane and Van Buren Road
• Repaving and curb repairs are taking place along Ivy Drive
• Restoration work is continuing at Mid-Peninsula High School

East Palo Alto

• Repaving and curb repairs on Purdue and Rutgers
  

FAQ:

Are you going to replace my fence?

To qualify for fence replacement by the project, the following conditions must be met:

• Your property must qualify as “bisected” under the SFPUC’s definition: “A “Bisected” parcel is a private residential lot that the SFPUC right of way bisects or divides that may result in an irregular parcel size or shape or adversely affects access to the parcel.”
• The SFPUC Real Estate Division (RES) must have received your completed SFPUC Encroachment Permit, proof of liability insurance in the amount of $500,000, and the required payment of $100 for a three-year permit.
• Your fence must have been removed solely for the purpose of access to the SFPUC Right of Way for construction of the BDPL5 Project.
  

Fences will be built to standard specifications outlined in the SFPUC’s Right of Way Management Policy. The new fence will be made of wood, measuring 6-feet high, with the top foot made of lattice to allow for visibility. The fence may include a 3-foot wide pass through gate between parcels to allow for SFPUC to periodically access the Right of Way for regular inspections or emergencies. The gate will be secured with a standard latch allowing for an SFPUC lock.

Tunneling has begun at the Bay Tunnel!

The actual tunneling work at the Bay Tunnel project has begun! The tunnel boring machine (TBM) was launched and began tunneling on August 15th. In less than a month, the TBM has tunneled 130 feet of the total tunnel length of approximately 5 miles.

Since the diameter of the shaft is 58 feet in of the trailing gear that will be attached to the TBM is 600ft, these pieces of trailing gear are outside the shaft on the ground being prepared for installation and will be lowered in pieces into the shaft by the gantry crane and assembled once the TBM digs far enough to make room for them. The trailing gear is part of the TBM and includes the operating cabin located 100ft away from the TBM’s cutting head.

As the TBM tunnels forward, the soil being removed will exit through the center of the tunnel on conveyor belts that run out of the tunnel and up the shaft. The conveyor belts leads to the soil pit, an area outside of the shaft where the soil can be loaded onto trucks and hauled off site.

While soil is being removed from the tunnel, construction materials, equipment and tools are constantly being lowered down into the shaft and transported to the TBM heading through the tunnel.. Fresh air, electricity and water, necessary for the optimal working conditions while tunneling are consistently pumped into the tunnel by a series of pipes and power cords. These pipes and cords will continue to be extended into the tunnel as the TBM moves forward so that the TBM has the necessary power and the crews have all of the necessary elements and materials right at hand.

Here are some photos of the Bay Tunnel!

View of the shaft from the gantry crane.

30 ton electric gantry hoist crane used to bring tools, equipment, and pieces of tunnel lining in and out of the shaft.

Air, water, and ventilation lines as well as the elevator track and escape ladder as viewed from the shaft floor.

Onsite grout plant. Grout will be used to fill the annulus space between the outside of the tunnel lining and the ground.

Conveyor system that will transport soil from the tunnel into the soil pit where it will be loaded into hauling trucks.

Restoration Scheduled for Mid-September

The construction management team, in conjunction with the contractor, has put together a restoration schedule for both commercial and residential areas. Please see the most recent letter from WSIP Director Julie Labonte (below) which outlines the restoration schedule. Every week we will post details about the exact locations of upcoming restoration in our weekly construction updates on this blog. Stay tuned!

(This schedule, as with all scheduled construction, is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. However, we are confident that restoration will proceed in a timely manner within the schedule provided.)



Construction Update

San Mateo County

• Continue work at Pulgas valve vault (in Pulgas Open Space)
• Continuing pipe installation along Edgewood Road. Saturday work will continue in along Edgewood Road. Work hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Redwood City

• Restoration is continuing at Fleishman Park

North Fairs Oaks

• Installing pipe at the Redwood City valve house on El Camino Real
• Completing work at the CalTrain jack and bore on Westmoreland Ave and on the other side of the tracks on Pacific Ave
• Install wholesale water tie-in at 12th Ave

Menlo Park

• Installing the Hwy 101 jack and bore pit at Iris Lane and Van Buren Road
• Installing the receiving pit for the Hwy 101 jack and bore at Pierce Road
• Repaving and curb repairs are taking place along Ivy Drive
• Restoration work is continuing at Willow Road and Mid-Peninsula High School

East Palo Alto

• Pipeline installation continues in East Palo Alto

FAQ: Why is Cordilleras Trail still closed?

While pipe installation at Cordilleras trail was completed in May, the contractor needs continued use of the Right of Way for the construction of the valve vault within Pulgas Open Space. This new valve vault will allow the SFPUC to shut off flow to specific sections of a pipeline to perform maintenance and ensure that we will not need to shut down an entire pipe or potentially interrupt water service while work is in progress.

We assure you that as soon as construction in this area is complete and the trailhead can be reopened, we will remove all signage and announce the trail opening here. Until then, please use the other trailheads for your own safety. For weekly construction updates continue to check this blog.