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Tag: Bay Bridge

  • Bay Bridge Troll: The Fate of the Icon

    As the Bay Bridge gets ready for some remodeling and replacing of some sections, people all over the world wonder what will happen to the whimsical troll that, from his perch, single-handedly keeps the bridge from collapsing? Will he (guessing on the gender, here) be thrown into the same scrap heap as his illustrious home?

    Absolutely not, says Bay Bridge Toll Oversight Commitee Spokesman John Goodwin. The 18-inch steel troll, sculpted by Bill Roan and placed by iron workers after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, has his own Facebook page and loyal contingent in the Bay area. It even has a set of replicas that will be on display at the Oakland Museum of California.

    Goodwin’s bosses recommend in a whimsical white paper, “For Whom the Troll Dwells,” preserving the troll in perpetuity, carefully removing the little creature during the upcoming demolition of the 1936 bridge and moving him to a troll retirement home. Maybe to have woodland creatures and unruly children hand-fed to them every day at 4pm before bed?

    The community is split on the question of who should keep billy goats from crossing the new span. Should the old troll continue to guard it or should a shiny new one take his place? Some folks say that since there hasn’t been an earthquake related shutdown since the troll surreptitiously appeared, that he should stay on duty. Others, like Brian Maroney, a veteran Caltrans engineer, would like him on the new span. “It’s up to the community, but personally, I’d like to see the existing troll moved to the top of the tower on the new bridge.”

    Some say that an old troll should never be placed on a new bridge. “It has to be a new troll with no allegiance to the old bridge,” said one high-ranking bridge official who declined to be identified for obvious reasons. It’s a sensitive subject, after all.

    There are many myths and mysterious accounts floating around, but according to the troll’s Facebook page,The troll first came to the public’s attention on January 15, 1990 when the San Francisco Chronicle ran a story about the small figure of a troll complete with a spud wrench that had been welded to the iron below the road on the north side of the bridge. The article quotes official spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, Greg Bayol, as saying, “If we were asked, we would have said ‘no,’ I’m sure.” But the iron workers didn’t ask, so the state is stuck with the troll.

    The trolls next home hasn’t been decided just yet, but whether in a museum or on the new Eastern span, under no circumstances will it end up rotting away in the recycle pit with the rest of the metal that makes up the old span, promised Amy Worth, Metropolitan Transportation Commission Chairwoman and Orinda Mayor. She said, “That’s not gonna happen.” A collective sigh amongst the superstitious Bay area villagers filled the air.

    image via wikipedia

  • San Francisco Bay Bridge Construction Remains on Schedule

    SF Bay Bridge is getting a makeover this Labor Day weekend as crews working on all things construction on the bridge. A “much more picturesque ride” awaits motorists in San Francisco on Tuesday, but say goodbye to the old East Span.

    The SF Bay Bridge was closed for a long weekend starting Wednesday at 8 p.m. and crews have already been well into construction and is to reopen on schedule, Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 5 a.m.

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    The New East Span provides a side-by-side configuration and will allow for panoramic views of the San Francisco bay and the East Bay hills. The new East Span is nothing like it used to be, according to the California Transportation Commission. Drivers are reminded to keep their eyes on the road, and let their passengers enjoy the new views. The improvements to the new East Span estimated cost is $6.416 billion, paid for by the toll revenues collected on state-owned bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area. The goal of the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee is to replace the entire original East Span, and demolishing the damaged original due to substantial damage caused by 7.1 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

    On the West Span crews are repairing light fixtures, cleaning, painting the cable and make other cosmetic changes.

    The SF Bay Bridge was closed over Labor Day weekends in 2006, 2007, and 2009. Labor day weekend provides “light traffic on the bridge” according to California Department of Transportation. The elaborate scheduling has extended the project, due to the fact that the traffic must keep moving.

    This phase is the final stage of the series to open up the new East Span. Other than traffic being “sluggish” Thursday during the morning commute, all seems to be going well, while construction pushes through.

    (image)
    All Photos courtesy of baybridgeinfo.org

  • Jack Dorsey Vines His Trip Up The Bay Bridge

    Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey shared an interesting (and somewhat nauseating) series of Vines today, as he took his smartphone while he climbed the Bay Bridge. Thanks to Dorsey’s venture, we’re treated to a rather close-up look at the structure of the bridge and at what the scenery (and cars) look like below.

    Enjoy the ride (please allow a few seconds to load):

    Earlier this week, Twitter launched Vine for Android, and announced that the service already had 13 million registered users. Twitter acquired it in October before launching it for iPhone in January.