Due to necessary construction work for the St. Francis Circle Project on West Portal Avenue near Sloat Boulevard, southbound West Portal Avenue will be closed between 15th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, May 18.
Local access will be provided.
Vehicles going to Sloat Boulevard from southbound West Portal will be detoured on 15th Avenue to Portola Drive.
Starting Monday, May 17 the SFMTA will begin the summer-long rail replacement project that will require bus substitutions on the M Ocean View and the K Ingleside rail lines. Beginning Monday, Muni bus substitutions and traffic changes will continue for the duration of the construction and will require traffic lane closures through the intersection.
St. Francis Circle is located at the intersection of Sloat Boulevard, Junipero Serra Boulevard, St. Francis Boulevard, Portola Drive and West Portal Avenue. In addition to new rail for Muni, improvements to the surrounding area will include street base repair and asphalt pavement; traffic and rail signal system upgrading; crosswalk construction and pavement striping; curb ramps and pedestrian refuges; low level boarding islands and platforms for customers with disabilities; and an updated storm sewer system.
Muni Service
Muni service on the K Ingleside and M Ocean View rail lines and the 17 Parkmerced and 23 Monterey bus routes will be affected from May 17 to late summer. Buses will provide substitute service on the K Ingleside and M Ocean View lines between West Portal Station and the BART/Muni Balboa Park Station and will serve all regular stops.
Some stops in the construction area may be temporarily relocated. Customers traveling from downtown will need to take any outbound K or L train and transfer from rail to bus at West Portal Station. The S Shuttle trains provided on Giants game days to ensure sufficient capacity in the subway will also take outbound customers to West Portal Station.
K Ingleside
K Line rail service will end at the transit stop at West Portal and 14th avenues and will return through the subway as T Line service. Substitute bus service will operate from West Portal Station to the Balboa Park BART Station. All K Line rail stops except for St. Francis Circle will be served by the K Ingleside Bus. Some temporary stops will be established including one at Lakeside Village and at Stern Grove.
M Ocean View
M Line rail service will not operate for the duration of the construction project. Substitute bus service will operate from West Portal Station to Balboa Park BART Station. All M Line rail stops except for St. Francis Circle and Ocean Avenue will be served by the M Ocean View Bus. Some temporary stops will be established including a stop at Stern Grove.
One exception is on Sunday, May 22. Due to the accelerated construction project schedule, light rail service on the M Line is required between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. This service will provide the additional capacity necessary to accommodate the increased ridership stemming from the San Francisco State University commencement exercises.
Substitute Bus Displays
Substitute Muni bus service will display the rail line names with the word Bus: K Ingleside Bus and M Ocean View Bus. The substitute bus service will operate throughout construction. Those traveling through St. Francis Circle are advised to allow extra travel time.
Rail Safety
Although rail service will be suspended on the M and K Lines between West Portal and Balboa Park for the majority of the next few months, anyone traveling in the area should be aware that all tracks should be treated as if there is a train on them. The potential exists for trains to be anywhere along the tracks periodically throughout construction for testing.
Traffic and Parking Impacts
The intersection will remain open to through traffic during construction. Traffic will be impacted, however, as lanes will be reconfigured during each stage of construction and lanes may be closed. Motorists are advised to exercise caution while adjusting to the temporary lane reconfigurations. Motorists should also use adjacent streets or avoid the intersection if possible. Please allow extra time if traveling through the area.
A total of 104 parking spaces will be temporarily removed in seven different areas, including at the West Portal terminal, at St. Francis Circle, along 19th Avenue, on Sloat Boulevard and at the Balboa Park/BART Station, for the duration of construction to provide adequate space for bus terminals and additional stops and so substitute buses can maneuver. Additional signage will be in place to direct West Portal shoppers to a neighborhood lot.
Construction Schedule
Construction hours are tentatively scheduled from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weekend work may occur from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Proceeding with construction seven days a week means the project can be completed as soon as possible.
For information on substitute Muni bus service, traffic detours and construction updates, please visit www.sfmta.com/stfranciscircle or call 311.
