WebProNews

Tag: San Fransisco Bay Bridge

  • 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.

    (image)
    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

  • Fire Shuts Down San Fransisco Bay Bridge

    San Francisco, California, firefighters were on scene when a tractor trailer truck caught fire on Interstate 80 and tied up traffic on the West Bay Bridge for over 2 hours this morning.

    “The truck driver pulled to the side of the road with a flat tire at 5:45 a.m. and realized that his engine was on fire,” said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Laura Clare. “The driver jumped out of his cab and ran away from the truck, which eventually became fully engulfed in flames,” Clare said. He was not injured. The cargo on the truck was groceries, including rice and sushi, that were headed from Castro Valley to San Francisco. The truck and its load were destroyed.

    Traffic on the bridge was a nightmare. Early in the day, officials had hoped to open the bridge by 9 a.m., but traffic continued to be backed up for an additional two hours.

    The fire created a fireball that could be seen rising above the freeway which made it impossible for drivers to see.

    “Commuters were ‘lucky’ a BART strike was headed off late Sunday, because thousands of additional cars would have been on the freeway without train service,” said CHP Officer Kevin Bartlett. “That would have been perfect timing for it,” Bartlett said. “Perfect in bizarro world.”

    Fire investigators examined the charred wreckage and crews removed the truck from the freeway.