Transbay Center could remained closed for at least three more weeks

Update 10-1-2018: Fremont Street between Howard and Mission under the temporarily shuttered Transbay Transit Center will remain closed for at least 10 more days, according to SFGate, who go on to report that TJPA “had no date for how long it might take to reopen the bus deck and the transit center itself, but said it could take at least three weeks.”

On the heels of a fissure discovered Tuesday on the third floor of the new Transbay Transit Center and Salesforce Park, which opened August 12 and cost $2.2 billion, a second crack was found during an overnight inspection.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the newly uncovered fissure was found on an adjacent beam inside the publicly-funded structure. However, said crack is “less severe” than the first one.

The beam reportedly runs the length of the east side of the center.

“It has a four-inch thick plate and is 60 feet long, and 2½-feet wide,” reports San Jose Mercury News. “The crack is in a flange.”

Fremont Street between Howard and Mission is expected to remain closed into next week.

Officials with the Transbay Joint Powers Authority still do not know the cause for either crack. The beams were created by Herrick steel located in the Central Valley.

Civic leaders and denizens are unpleased, to say the least.

“We must have a thorough and transparent investigation to determine the causes, severity, and impacts of this discovery, as well as a plan to re-open the Transit Center as soon as it is safe to do so,” Mayor London Breed said in a written statement. “The Transbay Transit Center is too important for our City and our regional transportation system not to act quickly to have definitive answers for the public, and someone needs to be held accountable once the cause is determined.”

All transit inside the terminal, including Muni (the 5, 5R, 7, 25, 38, and 38R), Golden Gate Transit, and AC Transit, will continue to operate at the old Temporary Transbay Terminal on the block bounded by Folsom, Howard, Beale, and Main Streets. It can be found one block away from the currently closed transit center.

Photo by Transbay Joint Powers Authority

Photo by Transbay Joint Powers Authority

• 2nd crack found at SF Transbay Transit Center — to stay closed through next week [SFGate]
• Second crack found in Salesforce Transit Center; closure extended through next week [Mercury News]
• Transbay Transit Center closure: Here’s what we know [Curbed SF]