Old San Francisco bus terminal meets wrecking ball

[IMAGE]Transbay-2.jpg[/IMAGE]San Francisco's Transbay Joint Powers Authority's (TJPA) demolition contractor Evans Brothers Inc. dropped the historic first wrecking ball on the front facade of the old Transbay Terminal building, marking the project's progress as it works toward removing the old bus terminal and ramps to make way for the new, multi-modal Transbay Transit Center.

The demolition of the Transbay Terminal is currently in the third of four phases of activity. Work to remove the eastern bus ramps has already been completed along with the removal of the main building's roof, portions of the walls, and bus levels along with the steel overpasses over both First and Fremont Streets. As part of the project's LEED efforts, more than 6,500 tons of concrete have been demolished and will be crushed and reused on site.

The wrecking ball is planned to remain in use for the next few months as the remainder of the old Terminal structure is removed. A Temporary Terminal located a few blocks away on Beale and Howard Streets will continue to serve bus operations until the new Transbay Transit Center opens its doors in 2017.

The Transit Center will serve 11 transportation systems — including California High Speed Rail — and up to 45 million passengers per year. The LEED Gold building will also feature large public art works as part of the building design and a 5.4 acre public rooftop park.