Doyle Drive under construction in 1936—connects San Francisco to the Golden Gate Bridge. Click to enlarge.
Originally built in 1936, as one of the New Deal projects and as part of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio Parkway is the scenic, heavily traveled gateway between the Golden Gate Bridge and the City of San Francisco, California, USA. Originally named Doyle Drive, it was reaching the end of its useful life after 73 years of service [by 2009]. The roadway is a stunning, iconic section of Highway 101 that flows along the San Francisco Bay. It serves as a commuter corridor for Marin and Sonoma County heading into the city. On average, the roadway carries more than 120,000 autos per day.
For the 2015 Presidio Parkway Pre-Construction VIDEO, please go to: www.concretepavements.org/2021/06/16/video-presidio-parkway-transforming-the-northern-waterfront-with-proven-crcp/
1. Concrete pour between & leading up to 2 tunnels (2012).
2. Concrete leading into concrete tunnels (post construction 2016- present). Click to enlarge
The Doyle Drive route:
• Runs west along a high bluff, from the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza
• Transitions to the high, steel-truss “Presidio Viaduct”
—1,520 feet long and 75 feet from the ground to the bottom of the steel truss at its highest point
—Steel truss is 20 feet deep with a concrete road deck on top
—Painted steel trusses repeat the International orange color of the Golden Gate Bridge
—Gray concrete columns
—Railing color changes—signaling change in the structural section—between the Ruckman Bridge segment green railing and Southbound High Viaduct orange railing
• Returns to an at-grade segment along the bluff
• Switches to an elevated concrete viaduct
• Returns to at-grade
• Merges with San Francisco surface streets
1. Doyle Drive (future Presidio) with deficient median, shoulders, etc. (1970’s – pre-planning stage)
2. Planning sketch dated Feb 27, 2009. Click to enlarge.
Early 1970‘s, Doyle Drive had become structurally and seismically deficient with inherent safety liabilities:
—Absence of median
—Absence of shoulders
—Exit ramps with extremely tight turning radii
—Reaching the end of its useful life
—Needed to be replaced
At that time, the California DOT (Caltrans) began preparing plans for updating its aging infrastructure and various studies were conducted over the next 20 years …
In 1996, a task force was convened to work with Caltrans and the Doyle Drive Intermodal Study called for the following:
• Center divider barrier to eliminate head-on collisions
• Direct vehicular and transit access to the new Presidio National Park—the former military base is now a National Park within a National Historic Landmark District
• Vastly improved design to expand views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the National Park
• Increased safety
• Expanded transit, carpooling, and alternative commute options
Historic Preservation & Ecological Rejuvenation Were Key Elements of the Design
The location of this roadway project presented some challenges: Although Doyle Drive is the main transportation corridor through the Presidio, the roadway was not designed for direct access in or out of the Presidio Military Base. When the Golden Gate Bridge and Doyle Drive were constructed, the U.S. Army required that access to the base be restricted. The former military base is now a National Park within a National Historic Landmark District.
2009 to 2012—Phase I construction
2012 to 2015—Phase II construction
End of 2016—Final landscaping and restoration
2009:
A community-backed design for the Presidio Parkway was chosen after years of intensive regional coordination, environmental review, and interagency planning. Construction on Phase I began in 2009 and included rethinking, redesigning, and rebuilding in and around the national treasure—the Golden Gate Recreational Area. The project was carefully designed to withstand the maximum projected earthquake for the region, improve traffic safety, and improve access to the Presidio and Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Intelligent Transportation System technologies for vehicular safety enhancement and transit schedule coordination
• The representative organizations involved in the design and construction were
—Caltrans
—San Francisco County Transportation Authority
—Presidio Trust
—National Park Service
—The project also had many stakeholders, including affected San Francisco residents—especially for Phase II
• Caltrans and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority jointly led the effort to replace Doyle Drive, with the work to be done in two phases:
Phase I:
Construction began in 2009
• Built using a traditional design-bid-build approach
• Caltrans: Responsible for the design, financing, and construction
• Caltrans: Contracted with C.C. Myers and R & L Brosamer (now Walsh) for construction
• Scope of work consisted of
—Replacement bridge at the Park Presidio Interchange
—New Presidio Viaduct
—Southbound Battery Tunnel
• Greenroads Scorecard
Phase II:
Construction began in 2012
• Built via a public-private partnership (P3)—This was California’s first transportation P3 under the state’s new P3 legislation, reducing costs for the owner, and ensuring a high maintenance standard
• A design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) availability-pay concession
• Caltrans: Responsible for the temporary bypass for traffic during this phase of construction
• Enabled the project to be built sooner
• 33.5-year maintenance agreement by the private concessionaire to ensure the roadway remains at a high level of operational and maintenance performance for the public
• Collaborative effort was led by:
—Caltrans
—San Francisco County Transportation Authority
—Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
—Golden Link Concessionaire
—HOCHTIEF Developers
—Meridiam Infrastructure Developers
—HTNB Corporation—Lead engineering firm
—Flatiron—Lead JV partner for the design-build contractor, working with
—Kiewit Infrastructure West Contractor
Other guidelines that affected the project included:
• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for:
—Federal Agency Historic Preservation Programs Pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act
—Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes
—Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings
—Preservation Planning
• Presidio:
—Trust Management Plan (PTMP)
—Vegetation Management Plan
—Trails and Bikeways Plan
The Park Presidio Interchange was partially opened to traffic during final construction.
The exit ramps on the left and right were constructed with continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP). Click to enlarge.
Park Presidio Interchange—1 of the first 2 Caltrans CRCP pilot projects
A proven success with the Presidio Parkway,
CRCP has now become a go-to staple of Ca. road & highway construction
Frank Stevenson, OHL/OC 405 Partners-Southern California and Presidio Parkway project with C.C. Myers. He highlighted that the exit lanes of the Park Presidio Interchange, pictured above, were innovations at the time, one of the first two continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) pilot projects with Caltrans. A proven success with the Presidio Parkway, CRCP has now become a go-to staple of California road and highway construction.
The Presidio Parkway was also the premier Greenroads P3 project, with sustainable features of the project focusing on safety while improving access and equity along the corridor. A number of responsible design and construction practices were implemented to reduce environmental impacts, as well as lifecycle costs.
Project highlights include:
• Revegetation strategy to plant native species of plant as well we more diverse trees—ultimately improving the forest long-term
• Scenic, community, and environmental resources preservation
• Improved safety and mobility—involving all stakeholders
• Improved transit circulation on parkway
• Improved connectivity for pedestrians and bicycles through former Army WWI air strip “Crissy Field“
• Provided direct access to the cultural, educational, and recreational features of Presidio
• Minimized noise in sensitive areas—San Francisco National Cemetery and Crissy Marsh
• Visual impact assessment—improved views of the Golden Gate Bridge
• Reduced risk to taxpayers/secured maintenance for 33.5 years by using P3 model
• Lifecycle-cost analysis—select [concrete] pavement and structural designs to last more than 40 years
• Workzone health and safety management plan
Peter van der Waart van Gulik, Chief Executive Officer-GLC said, “We consider this a huge recognition for the sustainability efforts of Caltrans, Golden Link Concessionaire (GLC), and Flatiron/Kiewit on this project, which is now not only the first P3 transportation project delivered in California, but also the first P3 Program in the USA to successfully certify.”
2009 to 2012—Phase I construction
2012 to 2015—Phase II construction
End of 2016—Final landscaping and restoration
Main Post Tunnels, at top, dip below grade adjacent to the
historic Presidio structures on the right. Click to enlarge.
The new Presidio Parkway:
• Extends from the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza on the west to Broderick Street on the east
• Features a six-lane parkway-type roadway with a southbound auxiliary lane between the Park Presidio Interchange and the new Presidio access at Girard Road
• Scope of work included:
—placing the freeway partially below ground through cut and cover tunnels
—replacing the outdated Doyle Drive and bridge structures
—providing an overall improvement to the historical Presidio thoroughfare
• Roadway consists of various sections (from the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza east to Richardson Avenue) with a landscaped median:
—High-viaduct between the Park Presidio Interchange and the San Francisco National Cemetery (Presidio Viaduct)
—Shallow cut-and-cover tunnels past the cemetery to Battery Blaney (Battery Tunnels)
—At-grade roadways to the Main Post
—Cut-and-cover tunnels from the Main Post to east of Halleck Street (Main Post Tunnels)
—Low causeway from Halleck Street to Girard Road
—At-grade connection to Richardson Avenue
Along with the safety improvements mandated by the Doyle Drive Intermodal Study, the Presidio Parkway Project will save commuting motorists an estimated 30 minutes in travel time, valued at approximately $1.095 billion annually.
For the SW Concrete Pavement Association-ACPA ARTICLE titled “Rebuilding the Iconic Presidio Parkway Gateway to the Golden Gate Bridge”, please go to: https://swcpa.org/rebuilding-the-iconic-presidio-parkway-gateway-to-the-golden-gate-bridge/
For more information on the PROJECT, please go to the FlatIron Construction website: https://www.flatironcorp.com/project/presidio-parkway-phase-ii/ and
Greenroads® Composite Rating on the Presidio Parkway Phase I: https://www.greenroads.org/141/63/presidio-parkway-phase-i.html
PRISIDIO PARKWAY – FACEBOOK PAGE: https://m.facebook.com/PresidioParkway/?tn=%2Cg#=
Presidio Parkway Facebook Page Photos-click to go to Facebook Page