Central Subway, Subway tunnel in SoMa and Chinatown, United States
The Central Subway is a tunnel system beneath San Francisco that connects the T Third line with downtown and northern neighborhoods. The route includes three underground stations and one surface stop, with tunnels running as deep as 120 feet below street level.
Construction began in 2012 after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 forced the removal of the Embarcadero Freeway and highlighted the need for improved transit links. The line opened after roughly ten years of work and extends the existing streetcar network.
The tunnel boring machines were named after a pioneering Chinese American doctor and the wife of a former San Francisco mayor. Artwork along the route depicts city life scenes and reinforces connections between communities above and below ground.
Trains run from six in the morning on weekdays and from eight on weekends until midnight, stopping at 4th & Brannan, Yerba Buena, Union Square, and Chinatown. Elevators connect all underground platforms with street level and make access easier for travelers with limited mobility.
The two tunnel boring machines Big Alma and Mom Chung were the first to excavate through San Francisco subsurface and each carried time capsules with city artifacts inside. They advanced roughly 40 feet (12 meters) per day and left behind fully lined tunnel sections.
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