S.F. Bay Bridge closes through Wednesday
Two tie rods came loose from the Bay Bridge at 5:30pm today, falling onto the upper level of the bridge where one person was injured and three cars were hit. The upper and lower levels have both been closed to traffic and a construction team is currently at work on the bridge.
“People should be prepared for the bridge to be closed for at least 24 hours,” said John Goodwin, spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. “At this point, the word is indefinite.” Read more
Bay Bridge Crack Could Be Big
On Saturday, construction crews working on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge discovered a “significant crack” in the eastern span that could keep the California bridge closed longer than originally expected.
During a routine inspection, workers found a problem with a steel link that assists in supporting the bridge’s eastern span, said senior bridge engineer Ken Brown. The link in question is approximately two inches thick and was cracked about halfway through.
“The crack is significant enough to have closed the bridge on its own,” Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney said during a Saturday evening press conference. “We have to make this repair before we reopen the bridge.”
Ney added “it’s very possible that this could prevent us from opening Tuesday morning.”
The Bay Bridge is 73 years old and connects Oakland and other nearby cities with San Francisco. The bridge was closed on Thursday night so that a portion of the eastern span could be removed and replaced with a new double-deck section that will connect the bridge with a brief detour. Approximately 260,000 vehicles cross the bridge every week day.
