You’ve Been Warned: Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Red Hill Ave. Construction Begins

Monday is the first day drivers will want to give themselves some extra time when traveling through the “Hub” in San Anselmo, also known as the intersection of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Red Hill Avenue.

The Marin Municipal Water District will be installing 3,600 feet of pipeline as part of a pipeline replacement project in the major thoroughfare from June 3 until Aug. 15

Here’s details about the construction schedule, copied from a Marin Municipal Water District page on the project.

• Day work hours are 8 AM - 3:30 PM westbound and 9 AM - 4 PM eastbound for the majority of the project. (Red Hill Ave. westbound only  starts at 7 AM.)
• Evening hours on Red Hill Ave. westbound are 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM.
• Night work will occur from Bridge Ave. through the Hub and onto Red Hill Ave. Night work hours are 8 PM - 6 AM. Night work dates will be announced when the schedule is finalized.

Here’s what MMWD says officials will do to minimize disruptions during the construction period:

• Maintain at least one open lane in each direction at all times.
• Limit the hours of lane closures to reduce impacts to traffic. (See above construction schedule.)
• Work at night on the sections of the project nearest the Hub.
• Include a payment incentive in the contract to expedite construction.
• Provide as much information as they can on this web page. Once construction begins, they will post project updates on Fridays.
• Send a message via Twitter @thinkbluemarin on Fridays with a link to the website update.
• Answer questions by phone as quickly as they can. If you call on a weekend, they will respond on the next business day. Contact: Jeff Ohmart at 945-1541

Details about the pipes being replaced:

• 2,100 feet of 12-inch welded steel pipe will replace both an 8-inch cast iron pipe from 1923 and a 10-inch cast iron pipe from 1930 on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. from the Hub west to Shaw Dr.
• 1,500 feet of 12-inch welded steel pipe to replace a 12-inch lock converse pipe from 1883 on Red Hill Ave. from the Hub to Ancho Vista Ave. This pipe was installed 29 years before the formation of MMWD by the Marin Water & Power Company.

Have you gotten stuck in traffic? How was the intersection when you passed through this week? Tell us in the comments!