Commuters who rely on San Francisco's Central Subway stations must adjust their travel plans next Wednesday. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced that four stations along the T Third line will temporarily close for essential maintenance work. The closure, which will affect Chinatown-Rose Pak, Union Square/Market Street, Yerba Buena/Moscone, and 4th & Brannan stations, is set to last from February 26 through March 14. As per SFMTA, officials explained that the work is necessary to address water damage jeopardizing the subway structure and wall panels at the platform level of Chinatown-Rose Pak Station.
According to SFMTA, the issue stems from moisture seeping into the station, which sits 100 feet below ground level and below the water table. To mitigate the water intrusion, crews will have to quickly begin injecting grout into voids behind the station's platform cavern arch and sealing any punctures found in the waterproofing membrane. Due to the lack of a crossover track at Union Square/Powell Street, it is not feasible to close a single station, hence the full closure of these connected stops.
During the closure, SFMTA will provide a T Bus shuttle service between the affected stations and the 4th & King stop, bridging the gap where the T Third Street train won’t run. Combined K Ingleside and T Third Street train services will also operate as the KT Train route from Sunnydale to Balboa Park via 4th & King, along King, and the Embarcadero into the Market Street Subway. Passengers can transfer between the T Bus shuttle and the KT Train at 4th & King, where schedules are adjusted to minimize wait times.
