SF’s Brand New “Central Subway” to Open by End of 2021

Although San Francisco has had problems reopening its existing Metro subway service, work on San Francisco’s brand new “Central Subway” project has continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with necessary safety precautions. SFMTA has made important progress, but of course due to the unexpected challenges, there were slowdowns.

This has set the project back a bit as SFMTA had originally planned to welcome passengers in summer 2021, but now it’s looking like its first customers can ride the rails at the end of 2021. See the latest Central Subway updates.

SMTA shared their progress: Although construction will continue a little longer into the year than expected, most of the impactful work is behind us. All but one street or sidewalk adjacent to worksite is now open. The remaining closed block of Washington Street in Chinatown will reopen once construction is complete later this year as it is a key access point for materials.

Lastly, we want to share a major project milestone was completed: Finishing an emergency exit for the Chinatown Rose Pak Station on Stockton near Jackson Street. This new exit was a massive endeavor that began in 2015 by excavating down over 95 feet. Once the soil was removed, the equivalent of a 9-story building was constructed underground — surrounded by reinforced concrete, waterproofed and then capped with a pneumatic roof hatch.

The Central Subway Project will improve public transportation in San Francisco by extending the Muni Metro T Third Line through SoMa, Union Square and Chinatown. By providing a direct, rapid transit link between downtown and the existing T Third Line route on 3rd Street, the Central Subway will vastly improve transportation to and from some of the city’s busiest, most densely populated areas.

When the Central Subway is completed, T Third Line trains will travel mostly underground from the 4th Street Caltrain Station to Chinatown, bypassing heavy traffic on congested 4th Street and Stockton Street. Four new stations will be built along the 1.7-mile alignment:

• • 4th and Brannan Station at 4th and Brannan streets (street level)
  • Yerba Buena/Moscone Station at 4th and Folsom streets (subway)
  • Union Square/Market Street Station on Stockton Street at Union Square (subway)
  • Chinatown Station at Stockton and Washington streets (subway)

Read more about the progress on Mass Transit and the SFMTA website.