The existing south access road to the Golden Gate Bridge, known as Doyle Drive or U.S. Route 101, is structurally and seismically deficient and is in the process of being replaced with a new safer roadway. Doyle Drive has been re-envisioned as the Presidio Parkway - a roadway tucked into the natural contours of the Presidio of San Francisco and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, one of the nation's largest urban parks. [1]
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The Doyle Drive Replacement Project has the following funding sources, divided between the first and second phases of the project:[2]
| Funding Source | Phase I - Traditional Delivery | Phase II - Public-Private Partnership |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Grants | $70,260,000 | $32,410,000 |
| American Recovery and Reinvestment Act | $83,280,000 | $46,000,000 |
| State Highway Operations and Preservation Program | $174,100,000 | $171,371,000 |
| Transportation Congestion Relief Program | $14,490,000 | $510,000 |
| State Local Partnership Program | - | $19,600,000 |
| Prop K Sales Tax | $29,100,000 | $38,800,000 |
| Regional Improvement Program | $16,870,000 | $67,230,000 |
| Metropolitan Transportation Commission Bridge Tolls | $80,000,000 | - |
| Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District | - | $80,000,000 |
| Total | $468,100,000 | $455,921,000 |
The Doyle Drive replacement project is a partnership between the California Department of Transportation, San Francisco County Transportation Authority, Presidio Trust, National Park Service, California Department of Veteran Affairs, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Federal Highway Administration.[2]
Replacing Doyle Drive with an earthquake-safe facility is a high priority, as portions of the roadway currently rate only 2 out of 100 in structural sufficiency. Also, the original Doyle Drive design does not meet current roadway safety standards. The likelihood of serious accidents increases as a result of nonstandard design elements, such as narrow lane widths, lack of barriers separating opposing traffic, and lack of shoulders for use by disabled or emergency vehicles. The Presidio Parkway design improves stopping sight distances, deceleration lengths, ramp geometry and more. The typical lane width of the roadway will be increased to 11 feet, with an outside lane width of 12 feet to accommodate buses. Usable outside shoulders will be added to improve emergency response and provide a refuge for disabled vehicles.
The new Doyle Drive will also enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety, providing well-defined pedestrian routes, incorporating pedestrian safety zones and including well-delineated bicycle lanes.
Construction of the parkway has been divided into two phases. Phase I began in 2009 and will be underway through late 2011. It consists of a replacement bridge on Highway 1 north of the MacArthur Tunnel, and the new southbound Presidio Viaduct constructed by C.C. Myers, Inc., as well as the first of four short tunnels and a temporary bypass constructed by R&L Brosamer. This phase is being delivered through the traditional Design-Bid-Build financial model typically used in California.
Seismic safety will be achieved in late 2011 after an extended weekend closure of Doyle Drive, during which traffic will be shifted off of the existing roadway and onto the completed permanent southbound structures and a temporary bypass.
With traffic off of the existing roadway, Phase II construction will begin in late 2011 to demolish the old roadway and complete the remaining elements of the Presidio Parkway, including the Northbound Presidio Viaduct and Battery Tunnel, the Main Post Tunnels and the new Girard interchange with a direct connection to the Presidio. Phase II will be delivered through a public-private partnership (P3).[4] This will be the first project in California to operate under this financial model.
In December 2009, a Franciscan manzanita, a rare native California plant thought to be extinct in the wild since 1947 was found growing in the path of construction. The Franciscan manzanita was safely relocated to a new permanent home in the Presidio.[5]