Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Fence Installation Work Pending

In order to continue our seismic upgrade work, SFPUC construction will be occurring behind the Villa Caprice Apartment buildings on Crawford St along the SFPUC Right-Of-Way. After discussions with the Villa Caprice property management, our contractor will begin installing a new security fence in mid- to late-December, to better protect and safeguard our property.

To do this work, the existing fence that currently separates the Villa Caprice Apartment buildings from SFPUC property will need to be completely removed. The contractor anticipates that the removal of the existing fence and the construction of the new fence will take approximately four weeks.

Permitted Work Hours:
Monday to Friday:  7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturdays:               9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

NEXT STEPS
The SFPUC will distribute an additional work notice with specific times and more details as soon as work December dates are finalized.

The contractor may also require that car owners park their vehicle slightly behind a marked line for ease of work and safety of vehicles

QUESTIONS?

For more information or questions about our progress, please call our 24-hour answering service at 866-973-1476, or visit our project blog at www.sfwater.org/seismicupgrade

Monday, August 18, 2014

Overnight work and Lane Closure Scheduled at Mission Boulevard and I-680

On Friday, August 22 beginning at midnight to 5 a.m. construction crews will be working overnight to shift the I-680 northbound on-ramp at the eastbound lanes of Mission Boulevard back to its original position. During these work hours, the northbound on-ramp and right-hand eastbound lane at Mission Boulevard and I-680 will be closed. When work is complete, traffic will be rerouted to the permanent on-ramp.

Why:   Workers are replacing and retrofitting large pipelines under the current I-680 northbound on-ramp to ensure the region has a reliable water supply following an earthquake. The construction work taking place at the original on-ramp is now complete, allowing the northbound on-ramp to be restored to its original position.

When: Friday, August 22, Midnight to 5 a.m. (Thursday night to Friday morning)
         
Where: Mission Boulevard at I-680 in Fremont

Ramp Closure Detour: Trucks will be rerouted north on Mission Boulevard to Durham Road and I-680. All other traffic heading east on Mission Boulevard will be directed to make a u-turn at Paseo Parkway. Once heading west, drivers can use the northbound on-ramp on the west side of Mission Boulevard.


The northbound on-ramp at Mission Boulevard and I-680 will be shifted back to its original position.



The temporary northbound on-ramp at Mission Boulevard and I-680 in Fremont.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Wishing You a Happy Fourth of July

On behalf of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the Bay Division Pipelines Nos. 3 & 4 (BDPL3&4) project team and construction crew, we want to wish you a Happy Fourth of July. Construction work will not take place over the holiday weekend.

As we celebrate our country's independence, our team is also celebrating another success. This week, the BDPL3&4 project garnered the top story in Engineering News-Record. The magazine highlights the cutting-edge slip joint installation to help the pipe compress, move, and even rotate without rupturing during a major earthquake. The goal is to ensure that the 2.6 million people relying on the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System, which includes BDPL3&4, can receive potable drinking water within 24 hours of a major earthquake.

To read the article in its entirety, click here

The highly innovative slip joint on the cover of Engineering News-Record



Watch the installation of the one-of-a-kind seismic slip joint

Seismic Slip Joint

Friday, June 20, 2014

The WSIP Turns 10!


This year the Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) turns 10! One of the largest infrastructure projects in the nation, the WSIP is repairing, replacing and upgrading our aging water infrastructure to ensure we can deliver water to customers following an earthquake. We’ve gotten a little nostalgic about how far we’ve come in the last 10 years, and we would like to share this video with you.



Now 80 percent complete, the WSIP has already provided increased reliability to the water supply for customers as a result of the completion of some of the program’s major projects. The program has created over 6 million construction craft hours to date, employing more than 11,000 workers since 2007. Nearly half of those workers live in our four-county service area.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Construction Notice: Excavation and Testing near Paseo Padre Pkwy

Construction activities will re-commence in the area between Paseo Padre Parkway and Nugget Way on Monday, May 12. 

Crews will use machines to excavate near the pipeline shut-off station, run water tests and then connect the new earthquake-safe pipeline to the regional water system.

This work will take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. The work will not affect traffic.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Milestone: the Seismic Slip Joint

In April, we installed a one-of-a-kind seismic slip joint. Watch the video here:

Monday, April 14, 2014

Construction Notice: Two-day on-ramp closure at Mission Blvd.

The westbound Mission Blvd. to northbound I-680 on-ramp in the Warm Springs neighborhood of Fremont will be closed between 10 p.m. on Wednesday night April 16 through 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, April 19 to install a large slip joint.

The slip joint to be installed is designed to absorb up to 6.5 feet
of movement during a major earthquake.

The red line shows the on-ramp subject to closure.
Detour Information 
To detour during this on-ramp closure, use Warm Springs Blvd. (North), and make a right at Auto Mall Parkway to merge onto the I-680 North.

Trucks should take the Warm Springs Blvd. detour or turn left at Durham Rd. to access I-680 before the Mill Creek bridge.

Monday, April 7, 2014

On-ramp Closure: Eastbound Mission Blvd. to Northbound I-680

This Thursday night 4/10 and Friday morning 4/11, the Eastbound Mission Blvd. to Northbound I-680 on-ramp in the Warm Springs neighborhood of Fremont will be closed between midnight and 5:00 a.m.

In order to complete essential elements of our regional water pipeline upgrade, it is necessary to close and slightly re-align this on-ramp. This will allow construction activities to continue alongside this busy commuter corridor without further impacting traffic.

Why a Night Time Closure? 
Closing the on-ramp late at night causes the least impact to commuters and local residents.
The pipelines we are upgrading are located directly under the I-680 freeway and the on/off-ramps of Mission Blvd. In order to access the pipeline, a phased traffic handling plan is being put in place. The SFPUC, Caltrans and other governmental agencies have worked together closely on this phased traffic approach plan to limit impacts to drivers and the surrounding community.

Detour Information 
To detour during this five-hour on-ramp closure, use Warm Springs Blvd. (North), and make a right at Auto Mall Parkway to merge onto the I-680 North.

Trucks should take the Warm Springs Blvd. detour or turn left at Durham Rd. to access I-680 before the Mill Creek bridge.

The red line shows on-ramp to be closed at midnight on Thursday night.
The on-ramp will re-open on Friday morning, April 11 at 5:00 a.m., shown in blue.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

On the move: huge ball joints head for the fault line

A ball joint secured and ready for transport.

Next week, the first of two massive ball joints will be delivered from storage in Livermore to our construction site in Fremont, where it will be included in the Seismic Upgrade of Bay Division Pipelines Nos.  3&4.

The two identical joints were fabricated specifically for the project. The inner dimension of the ball joints measures 72 inches (6 feet) in diameter. The joint itself measures more than 8 feet in diameter at its widest point. The ball joints are the largest such joints to be used in the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System, and at the time of fabrication were the largest ball joints in the world.

The joints are made of ductile iron and are part of a system designed to absorb up to 6.5 feet of horizontal displacement if a major earthquake were to take place on the Hayward Fault.

A depiction of the ball joint installed in the BDPL3&4 system (courtesy of URS Corp.)


Friday, February 21, 2014

Upcoming Night Closures on Mission Boulevard at 880 Effective: Monday, January 27, 2014

As our agencies work together to improve the infrastructure of the burgeoning Warm Springs neighborhood, the following notice of night time closures at Mission Blvd. and 880 is shared as a courtesy via BART Silicon Valley.

Location

Eastbound and westbound Mission Boulevard (Route 262) between Warm Springs Boulevard and I-880 in Fremont, including connector ramps to and from north and southbound I-880

What

One week of nighttime closures on Mission Boulevard to accommodate construction of new traffic lanes. Trucks will be entering and exiting roadway.

When

Dates and hours:
Friday, Feb. 21 – Saturday, Feb. 22 from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. [Closed both directions]

Saturday night closures canceled

Sunday, Feb. 23 – Monday, Feb. 24 from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. [Closed Westbound direction only]

Detour

Motorists using northbound I-880: Northbound Fremont Boulevard to Eastbound Auto Mall Parkway to southbound Warm Springs Boulevard.
Motorists using southbound I-880: Eastbound Auto Mall Parkway to Southbound Warm Springs Boulevard, or to southbound I-680 to Mission Boulevard.
Warren Avenue is closed between Kato Road and Mission Falls Court and cannot be used as an alternate for Mission Boulevard.

VTA's BART Silicon Valley Extension

VTA's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Extension Project is a 16-mile extension of the existing BART system to San Jose, Milpitas and Santa Clara, which will be delivered through a phased approach. The first phase, the Berryessa Extension, is a 10-mile, two-station extension, beginning in Fremont south of the future BART Warm Springs Station and proceeding in the former Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way through Milpitas, the location of the first station, and then to the Berryessa area of north San Jose, at the second station. VTA continues project development activities for the second 6-mile phase of the project that includes a 5.1 mile-long subway tunnel through downtown San Jose, and ends at grade in Santa Clara near the Caltrain Station. Construction on the second phase of the project will commence as additional funding is secured.

About VTA

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special district that provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality of our region.  VTA is responsible for bus, light rail and paratransit operations and also serves as the county’s congestion management agency. As such, VTA is responsible for countywide transportation planning, including congestion management issues, specific highway improvement projects, pedestrian and bicycle improvement projects, and provides these services throughout the county, including the municipalities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale.  VTA continually builds partnerships to deliver transportation solutions that meet the evolving mobility needs of Santa Clara County.
VTA BART Silicon Valley
BART Silicon Valley Program Office, 1436 California Circle, Milpitas, CA 95035
Copyright © 2013 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). All rights reserved.
Contact Us
Hotline (408) 934-2662
Email us at vtabart@vta.org

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Building Careers as well as Infrastructure at the Seismic Upgrade of Bay Division Pipelines Nos. 3&4

Through the Cypress Mandela Training Center and Project Build, WSIP is helping apprentices from underserved communities to build their careers while upgrading the Bay Area’s critical water infrastructure. The Seismic Upgrade of BDPL Nos. 3&4 project has consistently supported opportunities for these apprentices.

When labor relations specialist Brian Thomas dropped by Fremont this week, he caught up with DeAndre Washington, an apprentice he helped to place with the job site, and his foreman Lisa Ross, to see how things were going.

DeAndre Washington, Lisa Ross and Brian Thomas

Washington is a graduate of the San Mateo County Project Build program. He grew up in East Palo Alto, and entered Project Build at the age of 21. With the help of his mother, DeAndre and his family moved to Hayward while he learned the construction trade. Having completed a total of 3,200 apprentice hours with 2,600 hours on the Bay Tunnel project and over 600 hours on the Seismic Upgrade project, Ross says that he has made a lasting impression on his current team. Washington has also benefited from the mentorship of Steve P. Rados’ construction team including Jim Pelletier, Tony Ferencik and Jack Beale.

DeAndre Washington prepares a pipe segment with a 
PTFE-coated bottom for sliplining beneath the freeway.

As the SFPUC invests in our critical infrastructure with projects like the Bay Tunnel and the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project, we will continue to provide apprenticeships and opportunities for local and underserved communities.

The Cypress Mandela Training Center is a community based organization dedicated to improving the lives of the people it serves by providing pre-apprentice construction and life skills training along with employment assistance. To learn more about their training programs, visit http://www.cypressmandela.org/our_programs.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Construction Update: Sections of Sound Fencing to Come Down

Due to rainy conditions, the removal of fencing has been postponed. Fencing will be removed in mid-February.


Because the open trench work for both pipelines in the Right of Way has been completed, the contractor will begin removing sound fencing between Nugget Way and Mission Blvd.

Some fencing close to Mission Blvd. will remain until the completion of the project. This flexible sound fencing has significantly reduced noise and dust out of the neighborhood, and will continue to do so for ongoing work areas.

The sound fencing marked with blue lines will be removed.
 Fencing south of the blue lines, as well as north of Nugget 
Way, will remain.


Friday, January 24, 2014

Construction Update: Articulated Vault Forming Work to Take Place on Saturdays

Regular work will take place between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturdays moving forward in order to form elements of an articulated vault. The work will take place underground beneath Mission Blvd near I-680.

If you have questions or concerns, please call our 24-hour answering service at 866-973-1476.
  
Para informaciĆ³n en espaƱol, por favor llame 866-973-1476

To learn more about the unique articulated vault system, check out this visualization of the system at work:


Friday, January 10, 2014

Construction Update: Work Saturday January 11

Some welding will take place on the
Bay Division 4 pipeline.
On Saturday January 11, testing and construction activities on either side of Mission Blvd. will take place between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. 

Workers will be welding a pipe element in the Right of Way parallel to Tissiack Way and coating pipe joints with protective material in the northbound Mission Blvd. to northbound I-680 cloverleaf area. The light work will cause minimal noise and disturbances.

If you have questions or concerns, please call our 24-hour answering service at 866-973-1476.