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SFPUC updates Mountain Tunnel schedule and lays out emergency-response plan
Summary
Assistant General Manager for Water Steve Ritchie told the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission the Mountain Tunnel program will pause for a major inspection in early 2017 and that staff are developing an emergency-response plan aimed at returning service in under 90 days; the Commission signaled it will adopt a schedule once inspection results inform the bypass-versus-repair decision.
Steve Ritchie, Assistant General Manager for Water, told the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on June 23 that the Mountain Tunnel program is now organized in three parts: access improvements, an inspection-and-repair program and a possible bypass project. Ritchie said a major inspection is scheduled for early 2017 and that the Commission will reevaluate the long-term approach — bypass or repair — after that inspection and initial repair work.
Ritchie described staff work on an "emergency response implementation" that would mobilize staff, consultants and contractors to repair or mitigate a tunnel failure with a "return to service goal of less than 90 days." He outlined options staff are examining to make that possible, including a pre‑approved list of contractors or contractors on retainer, stockpiling critical materials and defining staff roles and responsibilities in an emergency.
Ritchie said staff are modeling outage scenarios and assessing whether shutdown windows can be extended beyond the current roughly two-month period; preliminary results, he said, look promising and detailed modeling will be available in July. He also said an RFP for planning and design services for Mountain Tunnel improvements was released on June 17, with proposals due in early August and the consultant expected to be on board in early 2016 to support inspection, repair and long-term planning.
Commissioners pressed staff on timing and on how the emergency plan would be operationalized; Ritchie said he expects much of the emergency logistics and contracting mechanisms to be in place by mid‑2016 and fully operational by mid‑2017, contingent on continuing work with staff and contractors. Several commissioners and a public commenter urged the Commission to formally adopt a schedule when staff presents a stable timeline and budget so that the work can move forward with clear expectations.
The Commission asked staff to return with inspection results, the modeling of shutdown scenarios and a proposed schedule and budget tied to the decision point between bypass and repair. No formal vote on a tunnel alternative occurred at the meeting; staff will bring recommended alternatives to the Commission after the inspection and accompanying analyses.
