Friday, November 11, 2011

Clearing the Way for the Seismic Upgrade Project

Throughout the fall and into next year, our crews will be working to prepare the project site for construction of the seismic upgrades to major facilities nearly I-680 and Mission Boulevard.

One key step in this process is to remove vegetation and other structures from within the Right of Way to make room for construction and large machinery.

Environmental responsibility is a top priority when clearing the Right of Way of vegetation. To make sure we are complying with environmental standards, our project team has enlisted the expertise of biologists and certified arborists throughout the vegetation-removal process. All trees removed by the Seismic Upgrade and other Water System Improvement Program projects will be replaced, often in local parks and the Alameda or Peninsula watersheds.

In partnership with the City of Fremont, the Seismic Upgrade project is planting new plants in a local park to replace the vegetation removed from the construction site.

Crews have already completed work at Agua Fria Creek, near the intersection of Crawford Street and Bradley Street. Check out the photos below.

A dam was constructed to reroute and protect the creek while work was in progress.

This machine was used to lift smaller trees in the air and hold them while they were being cut down.

Larger trees were held in place by a crane to prevent them from falling. Then they were lifted in the air and moved to a clearing in the site.

WSIP and Seismic Upgrade Featured on KQED!

Quest, a KQED show, this week highlighted the Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) for our Hetch Hetchy water system. Check out Quest's video segment about the infrastructure upgrades throughout the system and especially the coverage of the Seismic Upgrade Project!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Welcome to the Seismic Upgrade Blog!

Welcome to our brand new project blog!


In August, preconstruction activities, including environmental surveying, kicked off at the project site of the Seismic Upgrade of Bay Division Pipeline Nos. 3 and 4 (BDPL3&4 Seismic). The goal of this important project is to seismically upgrade and strengthen two existing water pipelines where they cross the Hayward Fault in Fremont.


Currently, the project is in the final phases of design and is expected to go out for bid by the end of the year. The world-class engineers at Jacobs Engineering are working closely with San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) engineers to develop high-tech pipeline improvements that will allow the regional water system to withstand a major earthquake on the Hayward Fault.


The seismic upgrade of Bay Division Pipeline Nos. 3 and 4 will improve the reliability of the water system for the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System’s 2.5 million customers in the Bay Area, including Alameda County.



Advanced pipe elements like the ball joint pictured above will protect the new pipeline during a major earthquake on the Hayward Fault.


As the project progresses, we hope this blog will serve as a valuable resource for you and your neighbors. Check back frequently for construction updates, work details, traffic notices and fun facts about construction and engineering. For now, please visit our project page for more information about what to expect, and download our most recent construction notice at the bottom of this post to learn about the work currently underway.


If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to contact the Public Outreach Team. You can reach us by phone on our 24-Hour Project Hotline at 800-571-6610, or email us at baydivision@sfwater.org.


Thank you for your interest in the SFPUC Water System Improvement Program’s Seismic Upgrade project! We look forward to working with you and we hope you enjoy learning about this important public works project.