BDPL 3&4 Project Complete; Check out Sunol Valley - Greater East Bay Blog

Thank you so much for your patience as we seismically upgraded critical components of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System. Our now completed work will ensure a reliable, high-quality water supply after an earthquake, major drought, or other emergency.

BDPL 3&4 project makes the cover of
ENR magazine June 2014.

The Water System Improvement Program's Seismic Upgrade of Bay Division Pipelines Nos. 3 & 4 at Mission Blvd and the I-680 interchange is complete. Beginning in February 2016, all Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System updates in the East Bay region will be posted here.

If you love learning about and staying updated on your water system, please subscribe to the Sunol Valley - Greater East Bay blog and follow us @WSIPInTheNews.

Warm wishes for a happy New Year!

Fremont’s Long History of Fossil Discovery

As we mentioned last time, the ice age fossils found during the excavation of the Bay Division Pipelines Nos. 3 & 4 project have found a new home at the Children’s Natural History Museum. The SFPUC officially donated the fossils to the museum under the care of Dr. Joyce Bleuford last month.

The fossils date back to two possible eras, the Rancholabrean North American Land Mammal Age, discussed last post, and the Irvingtonian North American Land Mammal Age, which dates back 240,000 to 1.8 million years ago. This older geologic era shows indications of a freshwater lake bed. The fossil record includes freshwater snails, fish, mussels, and crayfish as well as reptiles and amphibians.

Fossil collection from the BDPL3&4 project site displayed at the Children’s Natural History Museum.

The Irvingtonian North American Land Mammal Age takes its name from the Irvington District in Fremont, where a group of self-named ‘boy paleontologists’ and their mentor Wes Gordon excavated tens of thousands of Pleistocene fossil finds from a gravel quarry in Fremont in the 1940's and 50's. Wes started the group as a way of keeping children out of trouble during World War II, but the group’s fossil finds eventually received national attention, including a story in Life Magazine in December of 1945.

Wes Gordon and the "Boy Paleontologists" excavating fossils in Fremont.

Although the majority of the fossils from the ‘boy paleontologists’ went to the University of California Berkeley, some of the collection went to the San Lorenzo School District, where Wes worked. In 2004, the Gordon family approached the Math Science Nucleus in Fremont to take on this collection, which can now be seen at the organization's Children's Natural History Museum. The museum, located at 4074 Eggers Drive in Fremont, hosts dozens of student field trips each year, and is the only Bay Area museum to regularly display fossils from the Bay Area.

See the story in the San Jose Mercury News.

Fremont Fossils Find a Permanent Home

Did you know that camels and bison once dominated the Fremont landscape? More than 50 ice age fossil specimens were discovered during the excavation of the articulated concrete box at the Bay Division Pipelines Nos. 3 & 4 (BDPL3&4) project site near Mission Blvd in 2013. The SFPUC donated those fossils to the Children's Natural History Museum in Fremont earlier this month to help students and scientists learn about the area's history.



Ice age fossils found at BDPL3&4 project site in their
new home at the Children's Natural History Museum.



Fossils from two distinct geologic layers were discovered at the site. One is likely the Irvingtonian North American Land Mammal Age, which we’ll talk more about next week. The other is the Rancholabrean North American Land Mammal Age. They add to our understanding of what this area looked like during the last ice age, known as the Pleistocene Epoch, which spans 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago.

Remains of bison, horse, elk, camel, deer, brush rabbit, deer mice, and pocket gophers were found in the soil unit that can be dated to the Rancholabrean North American Land Mammal Age of 11,000 to 240,000 years before present. This area of Fremont could have looked like the Serengeti of today, with grasslands accented by brush and trees.



Artist rendering of what Fremont may have looked like during the
Rancholabrean North American Land Mammal Age.


The museum, located at 4074 Eggers Drive in Fremont, hosts dozens of student field trips each year, and is the only Bay Area museum to regularly display fossils from the Bay Area. We are thrilled to have found such a perfect home for this fascinating paleontological find.

See the story in the San Jose Mercury News.

Overnight On-ramp Paving Begins Tomorrow Night At I-680/Mission Blvd. Interchange in Fremont

The contractor will conduct overnight paving work on the northbound loop on-ramp (off eastbound Mission Blvd.) beginning tomorrow night. To complete this work, this on-ramp will be closed beginning on Friday, July 10 at 11 p.m. until Saturday, July 11 at 6 a.m. 

 

Eastbound Mission Blvd. to the Northbound I-680 on-ramp in the Warm Springs neighborhood of Fremont will be closed beginning Friday, July 10 at 11 p.m.

 

Curtner Road & Mission Blvd. Paving Work Update

Paving work along Curtner Road and Mission Blvd. is also underway this week. Residents and local motorists will soon have new roads as part of the project reaching substantial completion later this month.

 

May 15, 2015

Project Construction In Final Stages: Join Us To Celebrate! Join us on Thursday, May 21 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. for a community celebration to honor the completion of the Seismic Upgrade of the Bay Division Pipelines Nos. 3 & 4 at the Hayward Fault. Stop by for some refreshments and a gift at the Right-of-Way at Tissiack Way and Nugget Way. We want to thank YOU, our neighbors, for your patience throughout construction and all of the inherent disruption that entails. We know heavy machinery and traffic delays are no fun--we appreciate your support and understanding of the important impact this project will have on the seismic reliability of the entire Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System. Final Projects, Cleanup and Landscaping Taking Place Along the Right-of-Way The project landscaper will install over 300 native, drought-tolerant plants along Tissiack Way, Nugget Way, Paseo Padre Blvd and by Crawford St, and disturbed areas will be hydroseeded with a native seed mix to ensure a healthy population of native grasses once other project work is complete.   The temporary street lights are being replaced with permanent ones along Mission Blvd. Restoration work and site clean up at the I-680 on-ramp and Mission Blvd. medians continue. Curtner Rd. off of Mission Blvd. is now open.   Thank you for your patience as the team works to complete this incredible engineering feat. We hope you will join us on May 21.    Questions? For more information or questions about our progress, please call our 24-hour answering service at 866-973-1476.

Landscape Restoration Work: Tissiack Way and Crawford Street in Fremont

As the BDPL 3&4 project nears substantial completion, the contractor will be focusing on restoration activities to make the SFPUC Right of Way feel and look less like an active construction site.

Beginning this month and through June, the contractor will be restoring the SFPUC Right of Way at Tissiack Way and Crawford Street. This will include hydroseeding, paving activities, landscaping and planting California native, drought-tolerant plants. In the coming weeks, a professional landscaper will be responsible for the installation of the landscape design. In addition, the contractor will be installing a drip irrigation system to ensure the plants survive.

In late April/early May, neighborhood sidewalk improvements and the repaving of segments of local streets will be conducted as part of the restoration activities. The contractor may be installing no-parking signs to conduct this work.

 

Mission Blvd and Curtner Road Work

Restoration work in the clover leaf work areas and along Mission Blvd. continues. Some may notice less machinery and materials in the work area. Currently, the contractor is working to re-grade the area, while restoring the curb, gutters and sidewalks along Mission Blvd. One of the most significant improvements following this project is the installation of wheelchair sidewalk access in three different areas along Mission Blvd. Landscaping and other vegetation restoration activities will happen in May. The contractor hopes to re-open Curtner Road before the end of the month.

Construction on Curtner Road.

Overnight Road Closure Continues for I-680/Mission Boulevard Interchange from March 30 through April 3

As part of the restoration activities following the Bay Division Pipeline installation, the contractor is required to restore the freeway on-ramps the way they were found prior to the start of construction. In order to complete this work, overnight work is necessary.  

Beginning on Monday, March 30 from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m., the contractor will require overnight on-ramp closures to the cloverleaf northbound on-ramp of I-680 from eastbound Mission Boulevard. These closures are needed in order to remove temporary water pipes and fill in open trenches, now that the main Bay Division Pipeline installation is complete. This work will continue on Mission Boulevard during the day and some lane closures will be required. Please be mindful of posted traffic and detour notices. 

Approved Work Hours/Road Closure Hours:

• Estimated Work Dates: Nightly, from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. beginning on Monday, March 30, for up to four consecutive nights (until Friday, April 3 at 5 a.m.)
• Road and on-ramp closure hours: midnight to 5 a.m.
• The contractor will require an hour of set-up time prior to the on-ramp/road closures. Work hours may start as early as 11 p.m. nightly.

To alleviate traffic-related concerns during major commute hours, this on-ramp work requires up to four nights of consecutive overnight work.       Substantial completion of this project is anticipated for May 2015.     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.

Overnight Work Continues for I-680/Mission Blvd. Interchange thru Sunday, March 22

Overnight Work Continues for I-680/Mission Blvd. Interchange thru Sunday, March 22 The contractor continues to make progress on the relocation and seismic improvements of Alameda County Water District (ACWD) drinking water pipelines as part of the seismic improvement program to ensure water continues to flow to Fremont taps after a seismic event. The pipeline work is nearly complete. Beginning on Wednesday, March 18 from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m., the contractor will require overnight on-ramp closures to the northbound on-ramp of I-680 at Mission Blvd. These closures are needed to install the final section of ACWD pipeline, demolish the temporary on-ramp and restore the road alignment it to its original condition. After this work is completed, the on-ramp will follow the same alignment as before the contractor began work to the SFPUC pipelines. Approved Work Hours/Road Closure Hours: Estimated Work Dates: Wednesday, March 18, midnight to 5 a.m. (Tuesday night to Wednesday morning) for up to five consecutive nights (until Sunday, March 22 at 5 a.m.) On-ramp closure hours: nightly from midnight to 5 a.m. To alleviate traffic-related concerns during major commute hours, this phased on-ramp work requires up to four nights of consecutive overnight work. Restoration Work Continues: Restoration in the clover leaf will begin shortly after this work is completed. Some on and off-ramp improvements as well as sidewalk improvements have already been made as a result of this project. Final completion of this project is anticipated for May 2015. Questions? For more information or questions about our progress, please call our 24-hour answering service at 866-973-1476.

March Construction Update

ACWD pipeline replacement work is underway near the homes on Curtner Road off of Mission Blvd. in Warm Springs. This pipeline replacement work is to ensure that homes in the area have a reliable water supply following an earthquake.

To conduct this pipeline replacement work, the contractor requires a two-week road closure of Curtner Road between Mission Blvd and Briar Place beginning this week until mid-March. Over the next two weeks, construction crews will be installing a brand new ACWD water delivery pipeline that will connect to the newly installed SFPUC BDPL3&4 pipelines.

Residents in the area should take Paseo Padre Parkway for entry to and exit from the neighborhood during work hours.

City of Fremont Approved Work Hours / Road Closure Hours:

•  Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Some Saturday work is permitted and may be required
• 24/7 Road Closure of Curtner Road may be required for the safety of pedestrians and motorists.

Restoration Work Continues:

While construction continues on the ACWD water delivery pipelines, restoration work continues on the SFPUC Right-Of-Way where the new BDPL3&4 pipelines were installed last year.

Final completion of this project is anticipated for May 2015.

Overnight Work & Lane Closure for Eastbound Mission Boulevard Traffic Near I-680

 

On Thursday, Feb. 12 from midnight to 5 a.m., construction crews will work along eastbound Mission Blvd. near I-680. A full road closure for eastbound traffic is required during these work hours to install brand new water delivery pipelines to homes in the Fremont area. Why? While the new, seismically upgraded BDPL 3&4 pipelines have been installed, one of the final parts of the project is the installation of two smaller water lines--one 30 inches in diameter and one 12 inches in diameter. This pair of Alameda County Water District water delivery lines runs under the median of Mission Blvd. and turns onto Cutner for connection to the existing distribution system. The contractor needs to close the road to eastbound traffic in order to conduct this work.   On Thursday, Feb. 19, from midnight to 5 a.m. (Wednesday to Thursday morning),  a full road closure to eastbound traffic along Mission Blvd. is needed to install two water delivery pipelines.

WSIP Recognizes Construction Project Teams for 7 Million Safe Work Hours

The construction teams working on Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) projects recently achieved a huge and important milestone. Between April 2009 and October 2014, these project teams performed 7 million hours of work on major construction projects, without a single major injury or incident. SFPUC representatives acknowledged this with a formal presentation of a certificate to the active construction management and contractor teams in December.

The WSIP projects have significantly lower rates of recordable injuries and lost work time compared to the national industry averages. The safety successes are a result of a robust safety program that has been embraced by the construction management teams as well as the project contractors. This milestone is evidence of the project teams’ outstanding commitment to the Think Safety, Work Safely approach, ensuring the program’s construction sites are safe places to work.

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. 

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.

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

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.

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.

Milestone: the Seismic Slip Joint

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

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.

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.

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.)