New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel - What to Expect the Next 6 Months

What Neighbors Can Expect the Next Six Months at the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel site:

Removal of TBM components from the South Shaft site.
Installation and welding of steel pipe in the tunnel and South Shaft.
Construction of near-surface vaults, pipelines and miscellaneous equipment at South Shaft site and off of Polhemus Road.
Final grading of muck disposal area at the South Shaft site.
Re-vegetation of muck disposal area with native plant seed mixes prior to the Fall rainy season. Temporary dust control measures will be implemented.

If you ever have questions, you can call our toll-free, 24 hour phone at 866-973-1476.

Tunnel Excavation is Complete!!

At 9am on March 24th, 2010, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) reached the North Shaft site and excavation of the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel is now complete!!

A new steel pipe will soon be installed inside the 4,200 foot long tunnel to provide a critical link in the Hetch Hetchy water system.

The new pipeline will also help to ensure water delivery after a major earthquake.

TBM Expected to Reach North Shaft Within Hours!

The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) excavating the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel is expected to reach the North Shaft site in a matter of hours!

The project team expects the TBM could finish as early as tomorrow, March 24th.

Watch this blog for updates!

Tunnel Boring Machine to Reach North Shaft Very Soon!

The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) boring the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel is expected to reach the North Shaft site very soon!

The project team expects the TBM to finish boring next week - most likely on or around the 25th of March.

The TBM is boring a 4,200 foot long tunnel for a critical water pipeline that will help ensure water delivery after a major earthquake.

We will keep you updated on the tunnel completion and next steps in this important project.

SFPUC Labor Relations Efforts Paying Off During Economic Downturn

New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel contractor Shank/Balfour Beatty has 27% of its workforce hours in apprenticeship, exceeding the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards requirement of 20%, according to the WSIP Labor Relations Office. The contractor is also providing tunneling equipment on loan to the Northern California Laborers Apprenticeship Program for use in training programs, reports Ardis Graham, Project Labor Agreement Administrator.

The New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel is one of SFPUC’s water system improvement projects, and is covered under the WSIP’s Project Labor Agreement (PLA).

For crane and equipment apprentice Simon Streeter and welding apprentice Justin Stephens, the PLA’s initiatives have resulted in opportunities to learn new, transferable skills through the Tunnel project. “We’re learning from guys with many years of experience. They look out for us. It is great to be employed in a good paying job where I learn something new each day,” said Streeter. Both men are residents in the WSIP service area.

Photos: Simon Streeter (top) and Justin Stephens (bottom).

Modern Artwork or the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel?

North Shaft replacement pipeline Tee looking toward butterfly valve.

South Shaft looking up.

South Shaft looking down.

Photos courtesy of Jacobs Associates

New Toll-Free, 24 hour, 7 day per week Phone Number

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has a new toll-free, 24 hour a day, 7 day per week phone number for calls about our Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) projects.

You can now call 866-973-1476 anytime for information about the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel project and other WSIP projects.

This number does not replace our local 650-212-0165 number, which rings to our offices at the South Shaft site, the 866 number is just one additional way to reach us at any time.