SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A construction project at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Office Building in downtown San Diego will result in a 21-month closure of a portion of Front Street, beginning Saturday.
According to the U.S. General Services Administration, a two-block stretch of Front Street, between Broadway and West F Street, will be affected by the construction project, which is expected to last until June 2021. Pedestrian and vehicle traffic will be detoured around the project area.
The project will reinforce and enhance the Front Street underpass beneath the Schwartz Federal Building. The project is designed to increase safety for the building's occupants as well as pedestrians and motorists, according to the GSA.
The Federal Building's existing framing at the underpass will be reinforced with new steel beams, concrete paneling and column support structures, federal officials said.
Signs will be in place on Interstate 5 to alert motorists to the closure as they enter downtown. The easternmost lane of Front Street between Broadway and E Street will provide access to the underground parking garage at 101 West Broadway and for turning city buses.
Construction work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except on weekends and holidays.
The roadwork will be completed first, followed by pedestrian walkways with full-height walls to separate the road from walkways, according to the GSA.
"One of our strategic goals is better management of federal real estate and this GSA construction project allows for that while also being a catalyst for downtown revitalization," said GSA Regional Administrator Tom Scott. "By enhancing the Schwartz Federal Office Building's structural integrity, we're also providing a safer public space in partnership with the community."
