Learning by Doing at the Bay Division Pipeline Nos. 3 & 4

From R to L: URS Intern Kelli McCurdy and SFPUC Intern Marisa Williams 

talk to Elizabeth Gruenstein and Vir McCoy, Specialty Environmental Monitors,

about the challenges of working near Agua Fria Creek.The interns are seen 

touring Agua Fria creek near Crawford Street, on the opposite side of I-680 

from the project’s current construction.

For the BDPL3&4 project team, summer not only brings hot Fremont days, but also the opportunity for summer internships. Over the last month, the SFPUC and the project’s design engineering firm, URS Corp., have both hired interns who will experience the real-life engineering challenges associated with rebuilding infrastructure in a state that is known for its earthquakes.

Not only are the students working together with engineers and the contractor to seismically upgrade a pipeline, but they are learning about the challenges associated with the busy I-680 commuter interchange and environmental mitigation efforts at a nearby creek. 

SFPUC Engineering Management Bureau Student Design Trainee Marisa Williams is excited for the hands-on nature of the internship. 

“My favorite part has been to see all the drawings and then to be able get out and see the actual site,” says Williams, a Civil Engineering student going into her fourth year at San Jose State University.