Repairs on cracked beams finished at shuttered Transbay Transit Terminal

The people behind the grinding effort to reopen the $2.2 billion Transbay Transit Center after its emergency closure last September is holding their breath and waiting to see what a peer review team will say about the inspections of the facility when it meets May 22.

That’s because the say-so of the reviewers may be the last obstacle toward setting a date to finally reopen the building and let bus traffic roll once again.

At Thursday’s meeting of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) board, Executive Director Mark Zabaneh said that it will take about a month from the time the review panel gives the okay for the building to open.

“We would need about a four week period to get buses inside,” said Zabaneh, citing a need to get drivers used to navigating the facility once again.

Construction manager Dennis Turchon told board members Thursday that the actual repair work on and around the cracked beams that caused the terminal’s August 2018 closure is now finished.

“The repairs and remediation are complete, it’s a huge milestone,” said Turchon, adding that nighttime street closures around the facility will continue for a few weeks while lighting and ceiling panels are reinstalled.

Ron Alameida, director of design and construction for the Transbay Transit Center, hinted at optimism about reopening in June, but cautioned that they aren’t yet ready to “start articulating an opening date.”

Everything hinges on the peer review.

“Hopefully, that’s the final hurdle,” said Alameida.

The review will determine whether the repairs and inspections are sufficient to deem the building safe for public use again.

Turchon also commented on repairs to the asphalt walkways on the center’s rooftop park, which are crumbling despite very little use.

“Multiple attempts to patch the pathway were made but without satisfaction,” noted Turchon, sounding weary.

With spot fixes not working the pathway will now need to be replaced by a concrete one, work that should commence this month.