PRESS RELEASE: Rockslide Threat Prompts Temporary Closure of O’Shaughnessy Boulevard - 1/18/17

For immediate release: January 18, 2017

Contact: Rachel Gordon, 415-554-6045 

Rockslide Threat Prompts Temporary Closure of O’Shaughnessy Boulevard

Traffic will be detoured until the emergency work is completed

San Francisco, CA –The threat of a rockslide onto O’Shaughnessy Boulevard will necessitate the temporary closure of the roadway starting this afternoon to allow crews to make the hillside safe.

The rocky slope is situated on the west side of O’Shaughnessy, across from Glen Canyon Park. Local access will be retained from Portola Drive to Del Vale                                           Avenue and from Bosworth Street to Malta Court, but the stretch between Malta and Del Vale streets temporarily will be off limits to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. Traffic, including Muni’s No. 44-O’Shaughnessy, will be detoured.

Work crews will begin knocking loose rock off of the hillside starting Thursday. New fencing and barricades also will be installed. The road will be closed as early as 1 p.m. today so crews can begin to mobilize. The goal is to have the work wrapped up and the road reopened by Friday evening.

After a small rockslide forced the brief closure of O’Shaughnessy during last weekend’s storm, geotechnical engineers and geologists were brought in to assess the undeveloped hillside for potential rockslides and recommended that loose rocks near the top be knocked away in a controlled manner. With a new round of rain underway, Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru declared an emergency to allow the necessary work to begin right away.

Public Works contracted with Drill Tech Drilling & Shoring, Inc. to perform the technical hillside work. The same company recently worked on a Telegraph Hill stabilization project. Public Works crews will haul away the debris. Public Works is working closely with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which oversees traffic and transit operations in the City, to minimize disruptions to the public during this essential public safety project.

About San Francisco Public Works: The 24/7 City agency cleans and resurfaces streets; plants and nurtures City-maintained street trees; designs, constructs and maintains City-owned facilities; inspects streets and sidewalks; builds curb ramps; eradicates graffiti; partners with neighborhoods; trains people for jobs; greens the right of way; and educates our communities.

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