Van Ness Avenue in SF reopens after closure for construction

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The weekend closure of Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco is over and is now open to traffic.

It's the first of three scheduled closures.

Crews are digging up one of San Francisco's busiest streets so that a pedestrian tunnel can be built. The goal is for the tunnel to connect the California Pacific Medical Center with offices across the street on the other side of Van Ness.

In order to bore a tunnel under the roadway, crews closed Van Ness for the weekend. The goal this weekend was to install temporary structural walls. "Those walls will be a part of the structure that will allow us to continue work all summer long underneath Van Ness and install the permanent tunnel structure," Project Director Paul Klemish said.

The second scheduled closure will take place in two weeks.

Click here to learn how the construction will affect public transportation in the area.

And click here to learn more about the project and the local traffic impacts from CPMC.