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San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge

January 01, 1970

The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, known locally as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California. As part of Interstate 80 and the direct road between San Francisco and Oakland, it carries about 260,000 vehicles a day on its two decks.[3][4] It includes one of the longest bridge spans in the United States.

San Francisco–Oakland
Bay Bridge
The western section of the bridge, seen in 2022. Part of the eastern section can be seen near Yerba Buena Island to the left.
Coordinates37°49′5″N 122°20′48″W / 37.81806°N 122.34667°W / 37.81806; -122.34667
Carries10 lanes of I-80 throughout,
and pedestrians and bicycles east of Yerba Buena Island (YBI)
CrossesSan Francisco Bay
via YBI
LocaleSan Francisco and Oakland, California, U.S.
OwnerState of California
Maintained byCalifornia Department of Transportation and the Bay Area Toll Authority
ID number
  • 34 0003 (West)
  • 34 0004 (YBI Tunnel)
  • 33 0025 (East)[1]
Characteristics
DesignDouble-decked suspension spans (two, connected by center anchorage), tunnel, cast-in-place concrete transition span, self-anchored suspension span, precast segmental concrete viaduct
MaterialSteel, concrete
Total lengthWest: 10,304 ft (3,141 m)
East span: 10,176 ft (3,102 m)
Total: 4.46 miles (7.18 km)
excluding approaches
WidthWest: 5 traffic lanes totaling 57.5 ft (17.5 m)
East: 10 traffic lanes totaling 258.33 ft (78.74 m)
HeightWest: 526 ft (160 m)[2]
East: 525 ft (160 m) (SAS)
Longest spanWest: two main spans
2,310 ft (704 m)
East: one main span
1,400 ft (430 m)
Clearance aboveWestbound: 14 feet (4.3 m), with additional clearance in some lanes
Eastbound: 14.67 feet (4.47 m)
Clearance belowWest: 220 feet (67 m)
East: 190 feet (58 m)
History
DesignerCharles H. Purcell
Construction startJuly 8, 1933
Construction endNovember 12, 1936
OpenedNovember 12, 1936; 87 years ago (1936-11-12)
Statistics
Daily traffic260,000[3][4]
Toll
  • East span, westbound only
  • FasTrak or pay-by-plate, cash not accepted
  • Effective January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2024 (2022-01-01 – 2024-12-31):
  • $7.00
  • $3.50 (carpools during weekday peak hours, FasTrak only)
DesignatedAugust 13, 2001
Reference no.00000525[1][5]
Location

The toll bridge was conceived as early as the California Gold Rush days, with "Emperor" Joshua Norton famously advocating for it, but construction did not begin until 1933. Designed by Charles H. Purcell,[6][7] and built by American Bridge Company, it opened on Thursday, November 12, 1936, six months before the Golden Gate Bridge. It originally carried automobile traffic on its upper deck, with trucks, cars, buses and commuter trains on the lower, but after the Key System abandoned its rail service on April 20, 1958, the lower deck was converted to all-road traffic as well. On October 12, 1963, traffic was reconfigured to one way traffic on each deck, westbound on the upper deck, and eastbound on the lower deck, with trucks and buses also allowed on the upper deck.[8]

In 1986, the bridge was unofficially dedicated to former California Governor James Rolph.[9]

The bridge has two sections of roughly equal length; the older western section, officially known as the Willie L. Brown Jr. Bridge (after former San Francisco Mayor and California State Assembly Speaker Willie L. Brown Jr.), connects downtown San Francisco to Yerba Buena Island, and the newer east bay section connects the island to Oakland. The western section is a double suspension bridge with two decks, westbound traffic being carried on the upper deck while eastbound is carried on the lower one. The largest span of the original eastern section was a cantilever bridge.

During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, a portion of the eastern section's upper deck collapsed onto the lower deck and the bridge was closed for a month. Reconstruction of the eastern section of the bridge as a causeway connected to a self-anchored suspension bridge began in 2002; the new eastern section opened September 2, 2013, at a reported cost of over $6.5 billion; the original estimate of $250 million was for a seismic retrofit of the existing span.[10][11] Unlike the western section and the original eastern section of the bridge, the new eastern section is a single deck carrying all eastbound and westbound lanes. Demolition of the old east span was completed on September 8, 2018.[12]

Description edit

 
Bridges crossing San Francisco Bay

The bridge consists of two crossings, east and west of Yerba Buena Island, a natural mid-bay outcropping inside San Francisco city limits. The western crossing between Yerba Buena and downtown San Francisco has two complete suspension spans connected at a center anchorage.[13] Rincon Hill is the western anchorage and touch-down for the San Francisco landing of the bridge connected by three shorter truss spans. The eastern crossing, between Yerba Buena Island and Oakland, was a cantilever bridge with a double-tower span, five medium truss spans, and a 14-section truss causeway. Due to earthquake concerns, the eastern crossing was replaced by a new crossing that opened on Labor Day 2013.[14] On Yerba Buena Island, the double-decked crossing is a 321-foot (98 m) concrete viaduct east of the west span's cable anchorage, the 540-foot (160 m) Yerba Buena Tunnel through the island's rocky central hill, another 790.8-foot (241.0 m) concrete viaduct, and a longer curved high-level steel truss viaduct that spans the final 1,169.7 feet (356.5 m) to the cantilever bridge.[15]

The toll plaza on the Oakland side (westbound traffic only since 1969) has eighteen toll lanes, with all charges now made either through the FasTrak electronic toll collection system or through invoices mailed through the USPS, based on the license plate of the car per Department of Motor Vehicle records. Metering signals are about 1,000 feet (300 m) west of the toll plaza. Two full-time bus-only lanes bypass the toll booths and metering lights around the right (north) side of the toll plaza; other high occupancy vehicles can use these lanes during weekday morning and afternoon commute periods. The two far-left toll lanes are high-occupancy vehicle lanes during weekday commute periods. Radio and television traffic reports will often refer to congestion at the toll plaza, metering lights, or a parking lot in the median of the road for bridge employees; the parking lot is about 1,900 feet (580 m) long, stretching from about 800 feet (240 m) east of the toll plaza to about 100 feet (30 m) west of the metering lights.[16]

During the morning commute hours, traffic congestion on the westbound approach from Oakland stretches back through the MacArthur Maze interchange at the east end of the bridge onto the three feeder highways, Interstate 580, Interstate 880, and I-80 toward Richmond.[17] Since the number of lanes on the eastbound approach from San Francisco is structurally restricted, eastbound backups are also frequent during evening commute hours.

The western section of the Bay Bridge is currently restricted to motorized freeway traffic. Pedestrians, bicycles, and other non-freeway vehicles are not allowed to cross this section. A project to add bicycle/pedestrian lanes to the western section has been proposed but is not finalized. A Caltrans bicycle shuttle operates between Oakland and San Francisco during peak commute hours for $1.00 each way.[18]

Freeway ramps next to the tunnel provide access to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island. Because the toll plaza is on the Oakland side, the western span is a de facto non-tolled bridge; traffic between the island and the main part of San Francisco can freely cross back and forth. Those who only travel from Oakland to Yerba Buena Island, and not the entire length to the main part of San Francisco, must pay the full toll.

Early history edit

Developed at the entrance to the bay, San Francisco was well placed to prosper during the California Gold Rush. Almost all goods not produced locally arrived by ship, as did numerous travelers and erstwhile miners. But after the first transcontinental railroad was completed in May 1869, San Francisco was on the wrong side of the Bay, and separated from the new rail link.

Many San Franciscans feared that the city would lose its position as the regional center of trade. Businessmen had considered the concept of a bridge spanning the San Francisco Bay since the Gold Rush days. During the 1870s, several newspaper articles explored the idea. In early 1872, a "Bay Bridge Committee" was hard at work on plans to construct a railroad bridge. The April 1872 issue of the San Francisco Real Estate Circular reported on this committee:

The Bay Bridge Committee lately submitted its report to the Board of Supervisors, in which compromise with the Central Pacific was recommended; also the bridging of the bay at Ravenswood and the granting of railroad facilities at Mission Bay and on the water front. Wm. C. Ralston, ex-Mayor Selby and James Otis were on this committee. A daily newspaper attempts to account for the advice of these gentlemen to the city by hinting that they were afraid of the railroad company, and therefore made their recommendations to suit its interests.[19]

The self-proclaimed Emperor Norton decreed three times in 1872 that a suspension bridge be constructed to connect Oakland with San Francisco. In the third of these decrees, in September 1872, Norton, frustrated that nothing had happened, proclaimed:

WHEREAS, we issued our decree ordering the citizens of San Francisco and Oakland to appropriate funds for the survey of a suspension bridge from Oakland Point via Goat Island; also for a tunnel; and to ascertain which is the best project; and whereas the said citizens have hitherto neglected to notice our said decree; and whereas we are determined our authority shall be fully respected; now, therefore, we do hereby command the arrest by the army of both the Boards of City Fathers if they persist in neglecting our decrees. Given under our royal hand and seal at San Francisco, this 17th day of September, 1872.[20]

 
Sketch of the proposed "Rush San Francisco Trans-Bay Suspension Bridge" (1913)[21]

Unlike most of Emperor Norton's eccentric ideas, his decree to build a bridge had a widespread public and political appeal. Yet the task was too much of an engineering and economic challenge, since the bay was too wide and too deep there. In 1921, more than forty years after Norton's death, an underground tube was considered, but it became clear that one would be inadequate for vehicular traffic.[22] Support for a trans-bay crossing increased in the 1920s based on the popularity and availability of automobiles.

Planning edit

 
Preliminary layout studies for the bridge, with Figures "H", and "P" selected as the final construction choice for western and eastern sections

The state legislature and governor passed a law, effective in 1929, to establish the California Toll Bridge Authority (Stats. 1929, Chap 763) and to authorize it and the State Department of Public Works to build a bridge connecting San Francisco and Alameda County (Stats. 1929, Chap 762).[23][24]

The state appointed a commission to evaluate the idea and various designs for a bridge across the Bay, the Hoover-Young Commission. Its conclusions were made public in 1930.[25]

In January 1931, Charles H. Purcell, the State Highway Engineer of California, who had also served as the secretary of the Hoover-Young Commission, assumed the position of Chief Engineer for the Bay Bridge. Glenn B. Woodruff served as design engineer for the project. He explained in a 1936 article that several elements of the bridge required not only new designs, but also new theories of design.[26]

To make the bridge feasible, a route was chosen via Yerba Buena Island, which would reduce both the material and the labor needed. Since Yerba Buena Island was a U.S. Navy base at the time, the state had to gain approval of the U.S. Congress for this purpose, as it regulates the armed services and supervises all naval and military bases. After a great deal of lobbying, California received Congressional approval to use the island on February 20, 1931, subject to final approvals by the Departments of War, Navy and Commerce.[27] The state applied for permits from the 3 federal departments as required. The permits were granted in January 1932, and formally presented in a ceremony on Yerba Buena Island on February 24, 1932.[28]

On May 25, 1931, Governor James Rolph Jr. signed into law two acts: one providing for the financing of state bridges by revenue bonds, and another creating the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge Division of the State Department of Public Works. On September 15, 1931, this new division opened its offices at 500 Sansome Street in San Francisco.[29]

During 1931, numerous aerial photographs were taken of the chosen route for the bridge and its approaches.[30]

That year, engineers had not determined the final design concept for the western span between San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island, although the idea of a double-span suspension bridge was already favored.[31]

In April 1932, the preliminary final plan and design of the bridge was presented by Chief Engineer Charles Purcell to Col. Walter E. Garrison, Director of the State Department of Public Works, and to Ralph Modjeski, head of the Board of Engineering Consultants. Both agencies approved and preparation of the final design proceeded.[32][33] In 1932, Joseph R. Knowland, a former U.S. Congressman from California, traveled to Washington to help persuade President Herbert Hoover and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to advance $62 million to build the bridge.

Construction edit

 
The Bay Bridge under construction at Yerba Buena Island in 1935

Before work got underway, 12 massive underwater telephone cables were moved 1,000 feet north of the proposed bridge route by crews of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. during the summer of 1931.[34]

Construction began on July 9, 1933[35] after a groundbreaking ceremony attended by former president Herbert Hoover, dignitaries, and local beauty queens.[36]

The western section of the bridge between San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island presented an enormous engineering challenge. The bay was up to 100 feet (30 m) deep in places and the soil required new foundation-laying techniques.[22] A single main suspension span some 4,100 feet (1.2 km) in length was considered but rejected, as it would have required too much fill and reduced wharfage space at San Francisco, had less vertical clearance for shipping, and cost more than the design ultimately adopted.[37] The solution was to construct a massive concrete anchorage halfway between San Francisco and the island, and to build a main suspension span on each side of this central anchorage.[38]

East of Yerba Buena Island, the bay to Oakland was spanned by a 10,176-foot (3.102 km) combination of double cantilever, five long-span through-trusses, and a truss causeway, forming the longest bridge of its kind at the time.[22] The cantilever section was longest in the nation and third-longest anywhere.[39]

Much of the original eastern section was founded upon treated wood pilings. Because of the very deep mud on the bay bottom, it was not practical to reach bedrock, although the lower levels of the mud are quite firm. Long wooden pilings were crafted from entire old-growth Douglas fir trees, which were driven through the soft mud to the firmer bottom layers.[40] The construction project had casualties: twenty-four men would die while constructing the bridge.[41]

Design and construction edit

California Department of Transportation engineer C.H. Purcell served as chief engineer for the Bay Bridge, including the construction of the Yerba Buena Tunnel. Before starting excavation, the ground through which the western half of the tunnel would be bored was stabilized by injecting cement grout under pressure through 25 1.5-inch (38 mm) holes bored into the loose rock over the crown of the tunnel.[42]

After excavating the western and eastern open portals, three drifts were bored from west to east along the path of the tunnel: one at the crown and the other two at the lower corners.[42][43] The first drift broke through in July 1934, approximately one year after the start of construction.[44] A ceremonial party led by Governor Merriam celebrated the completion of the first 12-foot-square (3.7 m) drift on July 24 by walking through it, followed by a short speech.[45][46] The space between the three drifts was then excavated, resulting in a single arch-shaped bore (in cross-section), and the tunnel roof was constructed using 16-inch (410 mm) steel I-beam ribs spaced 3 feet (0.91 m) apart to support the rock, which were then embedded in concrete up to 3 feet (0.91 m) thick at the crown.[42][47] No cave-ins occurred during the excavation of the tunnel.[47]

After the roof was completed, the remaining core of rock between the tunnel roof and lower deck was excavated using a power shovel.[42] By May 1935, work on removing the core was progressing and 40 steel ribs had been placed; concrete embedment was just starting.[48] Removal of the core was completed on November 18, 1935.[49] Once the excavation was complete, the upper deck was placed and the interior ceiling above the upper deck was lined with tiles.[47] The last concrete poured during the construction of the Bay Bridge was part of the upper deck lining in late summer 1936.[49] This included the emplacement of regularly spaced refuge bays ("deadman holes") along the south wall of the lower deck tunnel, escape alcoves common in all railway tunnels into which track maintenance workers could duck if a train came along.[50] These remain and are visible to eastbound motorists today.

The completed tunnel bore is 76 feet (23 m) wide and 58 feet (18 m) high overall, and the dimensions of the tunnel interior are 66 feet (20 m) wide and 53 feet (16 m) high.[51] In 1936, it was hailed as the world's largest-bore tunnel.[52][53] The cross-sectional area of the upper half is 1,500 square feet (140 m2), and the lower half is 1,000 square feet (93 m2).[54]

Reminders of the long-gone bridge railway survive along the south side of the lower Yerba Buena Tunnel. These are the regularly spaced refuge bays ("deadman holes"), escape alcoves common in all railway tunnels, along the wall, into which track maintenance workers could safely retreat if a train came along. (The north side, which always carried only motor traffic, lacks these holes.)[55][56]

Opening day edit

The bridge opened on November 12, 1936, at 12:30 p.m. In attendance were the former US president Herbert Hoover, Senator William G. McAdoo, and the Governor of California, Frank Merriam. Governor Merriam opened the bridge by cutting gold chains across it with an acetylene cutting torch.[57] The San Francisco Chronicle report of November 13, 1936, read:

 
The illuminated western span as seen from the Embarcadero in San Francisco
 
Schematic drawing of the Bay Bridge

the greatest traffic jam in the history of S.F., a dozen old-fashioned New Year's eves thrown into one – the biggest and most good-natured crowd of tens of thousands ever to try and walk the streets and guide their autos on them – This was the city last night, the night of the bridge opening with every auto owner in the bay region, seemingly, trying to crowd his machine onto the great bridge.

And those who tried to view the brilliantly lighted structure from the hilltops and also view the fireworks display were numbered also in the thousands.

Every intersection in the city, particularly those near the San Francisco entrance to the bridge, was jammed with a slowly moving auto caravan.

Every available policeman in the department was called to duty to aid in regulating the city's greatest parade of autos.

One of the greatest traffic congestions of the evening was at Fifth and Mission Streets, with downtown traffic and bridge-bound traffic snarled in an almost hopeless mass. To add to the confusion, traffic signals jammed and did not synchronize.

Police reported that there was no lessening of the traffic over the bridge, all lanes being crowded with Oakland- or San-Francisco-bound machines far into the night.

The total cost was US$77 million.[22] Before opening the bridge was blessed by Cardinal Secretary of State Eugene Cardinal Pacelli, later Pope Pius XII.[58] Because it was in effect two bridges strung together, the western spans were ranked the second and third largest suspension bridges. Only the George Washington Bridge had a longer span between towers.

As part of the celebration a United States commemorative coin was produced by the San Francisco Mint. A half dollar, the obverse portrays California's symbol, the grizzly bear, while the reverse presents a picture of the bridge spanning the bay. A total of 71,369 coins were sold, some from the bridge's tollbooths.[59]

Yerba Buena Tunnel edit

 
Traveling through the westbound upper level of the Yerba Buena tunnel

The Yerba Buena passage utilizes the Yerba Buena Tunnel, also known as the Yerba Buena Island Tunnel. The tunnel is 76 feet (23 m) wide, 58 feet (18 m) high, and 540 feet (160 m) long.[15] It is the largest diameter transportation bore tunnel in the world.[22] The large amount of material that was excavated in boring the tunnel was used for a portion of the landfill over the shoals lying adjacent to Yerba Buena Island to its north, a project which created the artificial Treasure Island.The contract to build the Yerba Buena Cable Anchorage, Tunnel & Viaduct segment was opened for bids on March 28, 1933, and awarded to the low bidder, Clinton Construction Company of California, for $1,821,129.50 (equivalent to $34 million in 2023[60]).[42][61] Yerba Buena Island was the main site of the official groundbreaking for the Bay Bridge on July 9, 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt remotely set off a dynamite blast on the eastern side of the island at 12:58 p.m. local time.[62][43] Former President Herbert Hoover and Governor James Rolph were onsite; the two men were the first to turn over the earth with ceremonial golden spades.[63] Other ceremonies took place simultaneously in San Francisco (on Rincon Hill) and Oakland Harbor.[62][64]

The Yerba Buena Tunnel opened, along with the rest of the Bay Bridge, on November 12, 1936. As of 2019, the tunnel lacks an official name.[65]

Post-opening history edit

The Bridge Railway edit

 
A Key System interurban crossing the bridge

Construction of the Bridge Railway began on November 29, 1937, with the laying of the first ties.[66] The first train was run across the Bay Bridge on September 23, 1938, a test run utilizing a Key System train consisting of two articulated units with California Governor Frank Merriam at the controls.[67] On January 14, 1939, the San Francisco Transbay Terminal was dedicated. The following morning, January 15, 1939, the electric interurban trains started in revenue service, running along the south side of the lower deck of the bridge. The terminal originally was supposed to open at the same time as the Bay Bridge, but had been delayed.

Trains over the Bridge Railway were operated by the Sacramento Northern Railroad (Western Pacific), the Interurban Electric Railway (Southern Pacific) and the Key System.[68] Freight trains never used the bridge. The tracks left the lower deck in San Francisco just southwest of the end of 1st St. They then went along an elevated viaduct above city streets, looping around and into the terminal on its east end. Departing trains exited on the loop back onto the bridge.[69] The loop continued to be used by buses until the terminal's closure in 2010. The tracks left the lower deck in Oakland. The Interurban Electric Railway tracks ran along Engineer Road and over the Southern Pacific yard on trestles (some of it is still standing and visible from nearby roadways) onto the streets and dedicated right-of-ways in Berkeley, Albany, Oakland and Alameda. The Sacramento Northern and Key System tracks went under the SP tracks through a tunnel (which still exists and is in use as an access to the EBMUD treatment plant) and onto 40th St. Due to falling ridership, Sacramento Northern and IER service ended in 1941.[70]

 
Disused passengers facilities on Yerba Buena Island for riders traveling northbound

On September 13, 1942, a stop was opened at Yerba Buena Island to serve expanded wartime needs on adjacent Treasure Island.[71]

Despite the vital role the railroad played, the last train went over the bridge in April 1958. The tracks were removed and replaced with pavement on the Transbay Terminal ramps and Bay Bridge. The Key System handled buses over the bridge until 1960 when its successor, AC Transit, took over operations. It still handles service today, running to a new transbay terminal located in the same vicinity in San Francisco, the Transbay Transit Center.

Emperor Norton plaque and relocation edit

In 1872, the San Francisco entrepreneur and eccentric Emperor Norton issued three proclamations calling for the design and construction of a suspension bridge between San Francisco and Oakland via Yerba Buena Island (formerly Goat Island).[72] A 1939 plaque honoring Emperor Norton for the original idea for the Bay Bridge was dedicated by the fraternal society E Clampus Vitus and was installed at The Cliff House in February 1955. In November 1986, in connection with the bridge's 50th anniversary, the plaque was moved to the Transbay Terminal, the public transit and Greyhound bus depot at the west end of the bridge in downtown San Francisco. When the terminal was closed in 2010, the plaque was placed in storage.[73]

1960s-2010s edit

Roadway retrofit edit

Until the 1960s, the upper deck (58 feet (18 m) wide between curbs) carried three lanes of traffic in each direction and was restricted to automobiles only.[22] The lower deck carried three lanes of truck and bus traffic, with autos allowed, on the north side of the bridge.[22] In the 1950s traffic lights were added to set the direction of travel in the middle lane, but there still remained no divider. Two interurban railroad tracks on the south half of the lower deck carried the electric commuter trains.[74] In 1958 the tracks were replaced with pavement, but the reconfiguration to what the traffic eventually became did not take place until 1963.

The Federal highway on the bridge was originally a concurrency of U.S. Highway 40 and U.S. Highway 50. The bridge was re-designated as Interstate 80 in 1964, and the western ends of U.S. 40 and U.S. 50 are now in Silver Summit, Utah, and West Sacramento, California, respectively.

 
A double balanced cantilever bridge, five truss bridges, and two truss causeways that connected Yerba Buena Island to Oakland. It was replaced by the current SAS span and was dismantled in 2016.

Reconstruction of approaches edit

The original western approach to (and exit from) the upper deck of the bridge was a long connector to Fifth Street, branching to Harrison St for westward traffic off the bridge and Bryant St for eastward traffic entering. There was also an on-ramp to the upper deck on Rincon Hill from Fremont Street (which later became an off-ramp) and an off-ramp to First Street (later extended over First St to Fremont St). The lower deck ended at Essex and Harrison St; just southwest of there, the tracks of the bridge railway left the lower deck and curved northward into the elevated loop through the Transbay Terminal that was paved for buses after rail service ended.[75]

The eastern approach to the bridge included a causeway landing for the "incline" section, and the construction of three feeder highways, interlinked by an extensive interchange,[76] which in later years became known as "The MacArthur Maze". A massive landfill was emplaced, extending along the north edge of the existing Key System rail mole to the existing bayshore, and continuing northward along the shore to the foot of Ashby Avenue in Berkeley.[77] The fill was continued northward to the foot of University Avenue as a causeway which enclosed an artificial lagoon, subsequently developed by the WPA as "Aquatic Park". The three feeder highways were U.S. Highway 40 (Eastshore Highway) which led north through Berkeley, U.S. Highway 50 (38th Street, later MacArthur Blvd.) which led through Oakland, and State Route 17 which ran parallel to U.S. 50, along the Oakland Estuary and through the industrial and port sections of the city.

The current approaches were constructed in the 1960s, as the original ones were not up to interstate highway standards and were designed mainly for local use.

Yerba Buena Tunnel Reconstruction edit

As originally completed, the upper deck was reserved for automobile traffic, and carried six lanes, each 9 feet 8 inches (2.95 m) wide.[54] The lower deck was further divided into three lanes of traffic for heavy trucks (each 10 feet 4 inches [3.15 m] wide), and the two railroad tracks on the south side (27 feet [8.2 m] wide for both tracks).[51][54] The initial design in 1932 called for the two rail tracks to flank a central truck deck on the lower level.[78] After Key System trains stopped running over the bridge in 1958, bids were opened on October 11, 1960, to rebuild the tunnel. The rebuild consisted of multiple stages of work:[54][79]

  1. Remove Key System rails, lower rail deck and repave
  2. Lower the truck traffic half of the lower deck by 3 feet (0.91 m) and repave
  3. Remove center columns supporting upper deck
  4. Lower the upper deck by 16 inches (410 mm) by placing precast concrete units

After the reconstruction, the tunnel would handle only road traffic. The upper deck was lowered to accommodate heavy truck traffic, as each deck would now carry five lanes of unidirectional traffic. The upper deck was dedicated to westbound traffic, and the lower deck was dedicated to eastbound traffic.[79] The impact to traffic during reconstruction of the tunnel was minimized mainly by working outside normal commuting hours and through the use of a portable steel bridge 26 feet (7.9 m) long and 58 feet (18 m) wide, designed to fit between the curbs of the existing upper deck.[54] The bridge spanned the gap between the new upper deck and old upper deck, and the overall elevation change of 26 inches (660 mm) caused drivers to slow to 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), resulting in traffic jams.[80][81] The first accident caused by "The Hump", the nickname the bridge acquired after prominent warning signs advertising its presence, occurred just twelve minutes after it was first deployed on November 25, 1961.[82]

The new precast upper deck units were each 7 feet 8 inches (2.34 m) long, and were installed in two halves. One side of each half rested on a temporary falsework erected in the middle of the lower deck, and the other side rested on the shoulder of the tunnel wall previously used to support the old upper deck. After the two halves were fastened together, a steel form was used to close the 1-foot-6-inch-wide (0.46 m) gap between halves, and concrete was poured in the gap.[54] The upper deck rests on 12-inch-wide (30 cm) shoulders built into the tunnel wall, padded by 1⁄2-inch-thick (1.3 cm) Masonite.[83]

The planned completion date for tunnel reconstruction was July 1962,[84] but "The Hump" was not dismantled until October 27, 1962. The San Francisco Chronicle marked the occasion by quipping "[The Hump] produced more jams than Grandma ever made."[82] After reconstruction, both the upper and lower decks featured 16 feet (4.9 m) of vertical clearance. Upper deck clearance is restricted by the tunnel portal, and lower deck clearance is restricted by the upper deck.

Rail removal edit

 
Daytime view of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco seen from Yerba Buena Island
 
A view of the Bay Bridge from the Bank of America building

Automobile traffic increased dramatically in the ensuing decades of the bridge's opening. This, among us other things, resulted in the Key Systems decline, and by the 1960s having rails on the bridge had become obsolete and detriment to traffic, as they carried nothing on them. Work began on removing the tracks in October 1963. After the work was completed, the Bay Bridge was reconfigured with five lanes of westbound traffic on the upper deck and five lanes of eastbound traffic on the lower deck. The Key System originally planned to end train operations in 1948 when it replaced its streetcars with buses, but Caltrans did not approve of this. Trucks had their ban lifted and were allowed on the top deck for the first time.[22] </ref> Due to this, the upper deck was retrofitted to handle the increased loads, with understringers added and prestressing added to the bottom of the floor beams. This retrofit is still in place today,and is visible to Eastbound traffic on the western span.

In current times, there have been attempts to restore rail service to the bridge, but none were successful. A study released in 2000 estimated the cost of restoring rail service across the bridge at up to $8 billion ($14.2 billion in 2023).[85]

1968 aircraft accident edit

On February 11, 1968, a U.S. Navy training aircraft crashed into the cantilever span of the bridge, killing both reserve officers aboard. The T2V SeaStar, based at NAS Los Alamitos in southern California, was on a routine weekend mission and had just taken off in the fog from nearby NAS Alameda. The plane struck the bridge about 15 feet (5 m) above the upper deck roadway and then sank in the bay north of the bridge.[86] There were no injuries among the motorists on the bridge.[87] One of the truss sections of the bridges was replaced due to damage from the impact.[88]

1986 Cable lighting edit

The series of lights adorning the westbound spans suspension cables were added in 1986 as part of the bridge's 50th-anniversary celebration.[89]

James B. Rolpf Jr. designation edit

The bridge was unofficially "dedicated" to James B. "Sunny Jim" Rolph, Jr.,[90] but this was not widely recognized until the bridge's 50th-anniversary celebrations in 1986. The official name of the bridge for all functional purposes has always been the "San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge", and, by most local people, it is referred to simply as "the Bay Bridge". Rolph, a Mayor of San Francisco from 1912 to 1931, was the Governor of California at the time construction of the bridge began. He died in office on June 2, 1934, two years before the bridge opened, leaving the bridge to be named for him out of respect.[22]

 
A view of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge western span from the waterfront in San Francisco

1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and emergency repairs edit

 
A collapsed section of roadway deck after the 1989 earthquake

On the evening of October 17, 1989, during the Loma Prieta earthquake, which measured a 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale,[91] a 50-foot (15 m) section of the upper deck of the eastern truss portion of the bridge at Pier E9 collapsed onto the deck below, indirectly causing one death. The bridge was closed for just over a month as construction crews repaired the section. That same year, the bridge reopened to traffic on November 18.


2001 terrorism threat edit

On November 2, 2001, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Governor Gray Davis announced a threat of a rush hour attack against a West Coast suspension bridge (a group which includes the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge) some time between November 2 and 7, resulting in an increase of openly armed law enforcement patrols.[92][93]

A small fraction of drivers shifted to ferries and BART.[94] It was later revealed that crews had secretly been working under armed guard for several weeks to harden the suspension cable attachment points, which were vulnerable to cutting with common weapons and tools. An anchor room was filled with concrete, doors welded shut, and a razor wire fence added. A blast wall was also added to defend against a potential truck bomb.[94][95] In the end, no attack occurred.

Emperor Norton naming campaign edit

In November 2004, after a campaign by San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Phil Frank, then-San Francisco District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced a resolution to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors calling for the entire two-bridge system, from San Francisco to Oakland, to be named for Emperor Norton.[96]

On December 14, 2004, the Board approved a modified version of this resolution, calling for only "new additions" — i.e., the new eastern crossing — to be named "The Emperor Norton Bridge".[20] Neither the City of Oakland nor Alameda County passed any similar resolution, so the effort went no further.

Western span retrofit edit

 
Obsolete hot riveted laced ties (left, original eastern span) and bolted box beam retrofit (right, western span)

The western section has undergone a lot of extensive seismic retrofitting. During the retrofit, much of the structural steel supporting the bridge deck was replaced while the bridge remained open to traffic. Engineers accomplished this by using methods similar to those employed on the Chicago Skyway.[97]

The entire bridge was fabricated using hot steel rivets, which are impossible to heat treat and so remain relatively soft. Analysis showed that these could fail by shearing under extreme stress. Therefore, at most locations, rivets were replaced with high-strength bolts.[98] Most bolts had domed heads placed facing traffic so they looked similar to the rivets that were removed.[99][verification needed]. This work had to be performed with great care as the steel of the structure had for many years been painted with lead paint, which had to be carefully removed and contained by workers with extensive protective gear so that they would not suffocate.[citation needed]

Most of the beams were originally constructed of two plate I-beams joined with lattices of flat strip or angle stock, depending upon structural requirements. These have all been reconstructed by replacing the riveted lattice elements with bolted steel plate and so converting the lattice beams into box beams. This replacement included adding face plates to the large diagonal beams joining the faces of the main towers, which now have an improved appearance when viewed from certain angles.

Diagonal box beams have been added to each bay of the upper and lower decks of the western spans. These add stiffness to reduce side-to-side motion during an earthquake and reduce the probability of damage to the decking surfaces.

Analysis showed that some massive concrete supports could burst and crumble under likely stresses. In particular the western supports were extensively modified. First, the location of existing reinforcing bar is determined using magnetic techniques. In areas between bars holes are drilled. Into these holes is inserted and glued an L-shaped bar that protrudes 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in).[citation needed] This bar is retained in the hole with a high-strength epoxy adhesive. The entire surface of the structure is thus covered with closely spaced protrusions. A network of horizontal and vertical reinforcing bars is then attached to these protrusions. Mold surface plates are then positioned to retain high-strength concrete, which is then pumped into the void. After removal of the formwork the surface appears similar to the original concrete. This technique has been applied elsewhere throughout California to improve freeway overpass abutments and some overpass central supports that have unconventional shapes. (Other techniques such as jacket and grout are applied to simple vertical posts; see the seismic retrofit article.)

The western approaches have also been retrofitted in part, but mostly these have been replaced with new construction of reinforced concrete.

2007 Cosco Busan oil spill edit

In 2007, a container ship then named the Cosco Busan, and subsequently renamed the Hanjin Venezia, allided with the Delta Tower fender, resulting in the Cosco Busan oil spill.[100][101][102][103]

October 2009 eyebar crack, repair failure and bridge closure edit

During the 2009 Labor Day weekend[104] closure for a portion of the replacement, a major crack was found in an eyebar, significant enough to warrant bridge closure.[105] Working in parallel with the retrofit, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and its contractors and subcontractors, were able to design, engineer, fabricate, and install the pieces required to repair the bridge, delaying its planned opening by only 1+1⁄2 hours. The repair was not inspected by the Federal Highway Administration, which relied on state inspection reports to ensure safety guidelines were met.[106]

On October 27, 2009, during the evening commute, the steel crossbeam and two steel tie rods repaired over Labor Day weekend[107] snapped off the Bay Bridge's eastern section and fell to the upper deck.[108][109][110] This may have been due to metal-on-metal vibration from bridge traffic and wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour (90 km/h), which resulted in one of the rods breaking off and caused one of the metal sections to come crashing down.[111] Three vehicles were either struck by or hit the fallen debris, though there were no injuries.[112][113][114][115] On November 1, Caltrans announced that the bridge would probably stay closed at least through the morning commute of Monday, November 2 after repairs performed during the weekend failed a stress test on Sunday.[116] BART and the Golden Gate Ferry systems added supplemental service to accommodate the increased passenger load during the bridge closure.[117] The bridge reopened to traffic on November 2, 2009.

The pieces that broke off on October 27 were a saddle, crossbars, and two tension rods.[112][118]

2010s-present edit

Willie L. Brown, Jr., Bridge naming resolution edit

In June 2013, nine state assemblymen, joined by two state senators, introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 65 (ACR 65) to name the western crossing of the bridge for former California Assembly Speaker and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.[119] Six weeks later, a grassroots petition was launched seeking to name the entire two-bridge system for Emperor Norton.[120] In September 2013, the petition's author launched a nonprofit, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign — now known as The Emperor Norton Trust — that advocates for adding "Emperor Norton Bridge" as an honorary name (rather than "renaming" the bridge) and that undertakes other efforts to advance Norton's legacy.[121] The state legislative resolution naming the western section of the Bay Bridge the "Willie L. Brown, Jr., Bridge" passed the Assembly in August 2013 and the Senate in September 2013.[122] A ceremony was held on February 11, 2014, marking the resolution and the installation of signs on either end of the section.[123]


Eastern span replacement edit

Main article: Eastern span replacement of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge

For various reasons, the eastern section would have been too expensive to retrofit compared to replacing it, so the decision was made to replace it.

The replacement section underwent a series of design changes, both progressive and regressive, with increasing cost estimates and contractor bids. The final design included a single-towered self-anchored suspension span starting at Yerba Buena island, leading to a long inclined viaduct to the Oakland touchdown.[124]

Separated and protected bicycle lanes are a visually prominent feature on the south side of the new eastern section. The bikeway and pedestrian path across the eastern span opened in October 2016 and carries recreational and commuter cyclists between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island.[125] The original eastern cantilever span had firefighting dry standpipes installed. No firefighting dry or wet standpipes were designed for the eastern section replacement, although, the firefighting wet standpipes do exist on the original western section visible on both the north-side upper and lower decks.[citation needed]

The original eastern section closed permanently to traffic on August 28, 2013, and the replacement span opened for traffic five days later.[126] The original eastern section was dismantled between January 2014 and November 2017.[127][128]

  • Eastern span: original and replacement
  •  
    Some new construction (2004)
  •  
    Substantial progress (2011)
  •  
    The completed replacement and the old bridge (2013)
  •  
    Rest of old and new bridge (June 2015)
  •  
    Artist's simulation of final appearance after old span demolition
 
The eastern span in 2017

2013 public "light sculpture" installation edit

On March 5, 2013, a public art installation called "The Bay Lights" was activated on the western span's vertical cables. The installation was designed by artist Leo Villareal and consists of 25,000 LED lights originally scheduled to be on nightly display until March 2015.[129] However, on December 17, 2014, the non-profit Illuminate The Arts announced that it had raised the $4 million needed to make the lights permanent; the display was temporarily turned off starting in March 2015 in order to perform maintenance and install sturdier bulbs and then re-lit on January 30, 2016.[130][131]

In order to reduce driver distractions, the privately funded display is not visible to users of the bridge, only to distant observers. This lighting effort is intended to form part of a larger project to "light the bay".[132] Villareal used various algorithms to generate patterns such as rainfall, reflections on water, bird flight, expanding rings, and others. Villareal's patterns and transitions will be sequenced and their duration determined by computerized random number generator to make each viewing experience unique.[133] Owing to the efficiency of the LED system employed, the estimated operating cost is only US$15.00 per night.

The lights were switched off permanently at 8 pm on March 5, 2023 – the 10th anniversary of the artwork. This was done due to their poor condition and increasing costs to maintian properly. There is a plan to raise additional funds and install a new set of lights later in the year.[134]

Alexander Zuckermann Bike Path edit

The pedestrian and bicycle route on the eastern section opened on September 3, 2013, and is named after Alexander Zuckermann, founding chair of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition.[135] This forms a transbay route for the San Francisco Bay Trail. Until October 2016, the path did not connect to Yerba Buena and Treasure Island sidewalks, due to the need to demolish more of the old eastern section before final construction.[136] On May 2, 2017, public access was extended to seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.,[137] with occasional closure days for continued demolition of the old bridge foundations.[138] This work was completed on November 11, 2017.[139]

Yerba Buena Tunnel closure and repair edit

On January 30, 2016, a chunk of concrete the size of an automobile tire fell from the tunnel wall into the slow lane of eastbound traffic on the lower deck of the Yerba Buena Tunnel, causing a minor accident. The concrete fell from where the upper deck is connected to the tunnel wall. Based on an examination of photographs, a professor from Georgia Tech postulated that water infiltration into the concrete wall had caused the reinforcing steel to corrode and expand, forcing a chunk of the tunnel wall out.[140] A subsequent California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) investigation identified 12 spots on both sides of the tunnel wall in the lower deck space showed signs of corrosion-induced damage, but no immediate risk of further spalling. The apparent cause was rainwater leaking from upper deck drains. Caltrans engineers speculated the Masonite pads had swelled due to rainwater infiltration, cracking the tunnel walls and allowing moisture in to the reinforcing steel.[83] Repairs to the degraded concrete started in February 2017. Drains and catch basins were replaced to reduce the likelihood of clogging, and fiberglass-reinforced mortar was used to patch removed concrete. The repairs, which required some daytime lane closures, were expected to last until June 2017.[141]

2020 bus lane proposal edit

In January 2020, the AC Transit and BART boards of directors supported the establishment of dedicated bus lanes on the bridge.[142][143] In February 2020, Rob Bonta introduced state legislation to begin planning bus lanes on the bridge.[144]

Opening of the Judge John Shutter Regional Shoreline edit

On October 21, 2020, the Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline park opened to the public. Located at the foot of the bridge, the opening of the park has led to easier access to the bike and pedestrian path due to improved parking and pedestrian access.[145]

2016-2023 exit reconstructions edit

In the 1960s directional reconfiguration, there were three off-ramps added to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island: a single left-hand side exit in the western direction at the east end of the tunnel, a left-hand side exit in the eastern direction at the west end of the tunnel (originally signed as just "Treasure Island"), and a right-hand side exit in eastern direction at the east end of the tunnel (originally signed as just "Yerba Buena Island").[146][147] The eastbound left exit in particular presented an unusual hazard – drivers had to slow within the normal traffic flow and move into a very short off-ramp that ended in a short radius turn left turn; accordingly, a 15 MPH advisory was posted there. The turn had been further narrowed from its original design by the installation of crash pads on the island side. The eastbound and westbound on-ramps were then on the usual right-hand side, but they did not have dedicated merge lanes, forcing drivers to await gaps in traffic and then accelerate from a stop sign to traffic speeds in a short distance. In 2016, a new on-ramp and off-ramp at the east end of the tunnel were opened in the western direction on the right-hand side of the roadway, replacing the left-hand side off-ramp in that direction.[148] Meanwhile, the eastbound right-hand side off-ramp and on-ramp at the east end of the tunnel was demolished during the reconstruction of the eastern span of the bridge. A new on-ramp on this side was built with a dedicated merge lane, but the off-ramp's replacement was not completed until early-May 2023, well after the bridge's bike path from the Oakland side to the island was fully completed. The eastbound left-hand side off-ramp and westbound on-ramp at the west end of the tunnel are then scheduled then close as early as late-May 2023 while the western span undergoes a seismic retrofit.[146][147]

pro-Palestinian ceasefire protest edit

On November 16, 2023, around 7:40 AM PST, more than 80 pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the five westbound lanes on Interstate 80 on the eastern span to demand ceasefire to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. Some of the protesters parked their cars in the five westbound lanes, threw their keys in the bay, rolled out banners demanding ceasefire and an end to genocide in Gaza, and pretended to be in body bags, shutting down the Bay Bridge. This created a traffic jam from the toll plaza in Oakland to the tower of the eastern span. The protesters were arrested by the California Highway Patrol, and all traffic was diverted to Yerba Buena Island. All five westbound lanes were then reopened in the afternoon.[149] Later that evening, at about 5:30 PM PST, on one of the five eastbound lanes, there was a car accident close to the eastern span tower, again closing eastbound traffic for around an hour.[150][151] Eight days later, on November 24, 2023 (the day after Thanksgiving,) more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters from the same protest group of the one at the eastern span protest, again rolling out two identical banners after a four-day ceasefire took effect between Hamas and Israel. It took place in downtown San Francisco again demanding permanent ceasefire and an end to genocide in Gaza.[152]

Financing and tolls edit

Current toll rates edit

 
Bay Bridge by night in 1998.

Tolls are only collected from westbound traffic at the toll plaza on the Oakland side of the bridge. Those just traveling between Yerba Buena Island and the main part of San Francisco are not tolled. All-electronic tolling has been in effect since 2020, and drivers may either pay using the FasTrak electronic toll collection device, using the license plate tolling program, or via a one time payment online. Effective January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2024 (2022-01-01 – 2024-12-31), the regular toll rate for passenger cars on weekends is $7. Under a congestion pricing scheme on weekdays, the rate increases to $8 during peak traffic hours and decreases to $6 during non-peak hours. Also during peak traffic hours, carpool vehicles carrying three or more people, clean air vehicles, or motorcycles may pay a discounted toll of $3.50 if they have FasTrak and use the designated carpool lane. Drivers must pay within 48 hours after crossing the bridge or they will be sent a toll violation invoice. No additional fees will be added to the toll violation if it is paid within 21 days.[153]

Historical toll rates edit

When the Bay Bridge opened in 1936, the toll was 65 cents (equivalent to $14.27 in 2023),[89] collected in each direction by men in booths fronting each lane of traffic. Within months, the toll was lowered to 50 cents in order to compete with the ferry system, and finally to 25 cents since this was shown sufficient to pay off the original revenue bonds on schedule (equivalent to $10.6 and $5.3 in 2023 respectively).[citation needed] In 1951 there were eighty collectors working various shifts.[154]

On Monday, September 1, 1969, (Labor Day) a change of policy resulted in the toll being collected thereafter only from westbound traffic, at twice the previous rate; eastbound vehicles were toll-exempt.[155]

Tolls were subsequently raised to finance improvements to the bridge approaches, required to connect with new freeways, and to subsidize public transit in order to reduce the traffic over the bridge. The toll was increased by a quarter dollar to 75 cents in 1978 (equivalent to $3.5 in 2023), where it remained for a decade.[156]

Caltrans, the state highway transportation agency, maintains seven of the eight San Francisco Bay Area bridges. (The Golden Gate Bridge is owned and maintained by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.)[157]

The basic toll (for automobiles) on the seven state bridges was raised to $1 by Regional Measure 1, approved by Bay Area voters in 1988.[156][158]

A $1 seismic retrofit surcharge was added in 1998 by the state legislature, originally for eight years, but since then extended to December 2037 (AB1171, October 2001).[159] On March 2, 2004, voters approved Regional Measure 2, raising the toll by another dollar to a total of three dollars (equivalent to $4.84 in 2023). An additional dollar was added to the toll starting January 1, 2007, to cover cost overruns concerning the replacement of the eastern span.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a regional transportation agency, in its capacity as the Bay Area Toll Authority, administers RM1 and RM2 funds, a significant portion of which are allocated to public transit capital improvements and operating subsidies in the transportation corridors served by the bridges. Caltrans administers the "second dollar" seismic surcharge, and receives some of the MTC-administered funds to perform other maintenance work on the bridges. The Bay Area Toll Authority is made up of appointed officials put in place by various city and county governments, and is not subject to direct voter oversight.[160]

Due to further funding shortages for seismic retrofit projects, the Bay Area Toll Authority again raised tolls on all Bay Area bridges in its control (this excludes the Golden Gate Bridge) in July 2010.[161] The toll rate for autos on other Bay Area bridges was increased to five dollars, but in the Bay Bridge a variable pricing tolling scheme based on congestion was implemented. The Bay Bridge congestion pricing scheme charged a $6 toll from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. During weekends cars paid $5. Carpools before the implementation were exempted but began to pay $2.50, and the carpool toll discount became available only to drivers with FasTrak electronic toll devices. The toll remained at the previous toll of $4 at all other times on weekdays.[162][163] The Bay Area Toll Authority reported that by October 2010 fewer users are driving during the peak hours and more vehicles are crossing the Bay Bridge before and after the 5–10 a.m. period in which the congestion toll goes into effect. Commute delays in the first six months dropped by an average of 15% compared with 2009.[164][165] For vehicles with at least 3 axles, the toll rate was $5 per axle.[166]

In June 2018, Bay Area voters approved Regional Measure 3 to further raise the tolls on all seven of the state-owned bridges to fund $4.5 billion worth of transportation improvements in the area.[167][168] Under the passed measure, the tolls on the Bay Bridge will be raised by $1 on January 1, 2019, then again on January 1, 2022, and again on January 1, 2025. Thus under the congestion pricing scheme, the tolls for autos during the peak weekday rush hours will be $7 in 2019, $8 in 2022, and $9 in 2025; for the non-rush periods, $5 in 2019, $6 in 2022, and $7 in 2025; and on weekends, $6 in 2019, $7 in 2022, and $8 in 2025.[169]

In September 2019, the MTC approved a $4 million plan to eliminate toll takers and convert all seven of the state-owned bridges to all-electronic tolling, citing that 80 percent of drivers are now using Fastrak and the change would improve traffic flow.[170] On March 20, 2020, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, all-electronic tolling was placed in effect for all seven state-owned toll bridges.[171] The MTC then installed new systems at all seven bridges to make them permanently cashless by the start of 2021.[172] In April 2022, the Bay Area Toll Authority announced plans to remove all remaining unused toll booths and create an open-road tolling system which functions at highway speeds.[173]

 
Panorama showing the western span, 2007
 
Panorama showing the Bay Bridge with the new eastern span, 2017

See also edit

References edit

Notes

  1. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form". National Park Service – USDoI. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  2. ^ San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge November 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b "Traffic Census Program". California Department of Transportation. 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2017. Traffic Volumes: Annual Average Daily Traffic
  4. ^ a b "San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge". Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Bay Area Toll Authority. 2014–15. Retrieved July 14, 2017. 45.5 million toll-paid vehicles (91.0 million trips) annually
  5. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  6. ^ "San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge (West)". Structurae. Nicolas Janberg. May 12, 2006. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
  7. ^ "San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge (East)". Structurae. Nicolas Janberg. February 28, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
  8. ^ [Bay Bridge Artery, Chris Carlson, "Found SF", orig.2013, updated]
  9. ^ (PDF). California Department of Transportation. January 2009. p. 41. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 23, 2013.
  10. ^ "First Cars Cross SF-Oakland Bay Bridge's New Span". ABC News. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  11. ^ Jaffe, Eric (October 13, 2015). "From $250 Million to $6.5 Billion: The Bay Bridge Cost Overrun". CityLab. from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  12. ^ "Old Bay Bridge Demolition". California Department of Transportation.
  13. ^ . Bay Bridge Public Information Office. September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  14. ^ "Self-Anchored Suspension (SAS) Span". Caltrans. from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010. Anticipated Completion Date: late 2013
  15. ^ a b "Yerba Buena Crossing (Contract No. 04-5) – As Built Drawings" Caltrans 2006
  16. ^ Richards, Gary (December 5, 2008). "From the Two Trees to the Sig Sanchez: Bay Area road nicknames explained". San Jose Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  17. ^ "Rebounding Economy Prompts Rise in Freeway Congestion" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Commission. September 14, 2005. from the original on November 2, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2008.
  18. ^ "Caltrans District 4 Bicycle Resources". California Department of Transportation. July 14, 2008. from the original on November 22, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  19. ^ "Complimentary to Selby, Ralston and Otis". San Francisco Real Estate Circular. April 1872. from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
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  25. ^ California Highways and Public Works, December, 1930, p.8
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  27. ^ U.S. Statutes at Large, 71st Congress, Chap.238, pp.1192-3
  28. ^ [California Highways and Public Works, February, 1932, p.22]
  29. ^ California Highways and Public Works, November, 1936, p.12
  30. ^ "Aerial photographs of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Approaches-1931", Fairchild Aerial Surveys Inc.
  31. ^ California Highways and Public Works, June, 1931, p.5
  32. ^ California Highways and Public Works, October, 1931, p.12
  33. ^ California Highways and Public Works, April, 1932, p.22
  34. ^ "Spectacular Job at Bottom of Sea; 10 Boals, 33 Men Remove Phone Cables", California Highways and Public Works, July, 1931, p.12-13
  35. ^ . Time. Vol. XXII, no. 4. New York. July 24, 1933. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on September 16, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
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  37. ^ Leboski, pp. 339–40
  38. ^ "World's Largest Bridge rest on sunken skyscrapers" Popular Science, February 1935
  39. ^ Petroski, p. 340
  40. ^ Reisner, p. 113
  41. ^ "Building the Bay Bridge: 1930s vs. today". August 9, 2013.
  42. ^ a b c d e "Safety Method of Boring Yerba Buena Tunnel Leaves Core to be Removed" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 13, no. 9. California Department of Public Works. September 1935. pp. 20–21. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  43. ^ a b "Huge Monolith Rises from Bay Waters to Bear Bridge Tower" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 11, no. 12. California Department of Public Works. December 1933. pp. 14–15. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  44. ^ "Yerba Buena Tunnel Diggers Near Light". Madera Tribune. June 23, 1934. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
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  49. ^ a b Purcell, C.H. (November 1936). "Chief Engineer Purcell Tells Construction Story of the Bridge" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 14, no. 11. California Department of Public Works. pp. 6–8. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
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Bibliography

  • (PDF). Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program. California Department of Transportation. December 8, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 25, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
  • Petroski, Henry. (1995). Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-679-43939-0.
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  • Russell, Ron (March 17, 2004). "A Bridge Too Weak?". SF Weekly. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  • San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project. Retrieved August 24, 2005.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge.
Official sites
  • Bay Area FasTrak – includes toll information on this and the other Bay Area toll facilities
  • baybridgeinfo.org Site by Caltrans about all current construction on the bridge.
  • California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) official Bay Bridge site
Journals
  • "San Francisco To Have World's Greatest Bridges". Popular Science: 25–26. March 1931.
  • White, Tom (January 1933). "The Titan Of Bridges". Popular Mechanics: 10–14.
  • "Giant Switchboard Controls Lights on Longest Bridge". Popular Mechanics: 42. January 1937.
Media
  • "Building the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (1937 documentary)" on YouTube (17 minutes)
  • "EarthCam San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Construction time-lapse" on YouTube
  • Lower Deck Rail and Roadway Off Ramps, 1939, Dorothea Lange photo
  • San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Construction Collection MSS 722.
  • Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Library.
  • "Bridging San Francisco Bay", PDH Online Course C577
Other
  • Bay Bridge Oral History Project, Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley
  • "Symphonies in Steel: Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate" at The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco
  • . Archived from the original on August 19, 2007.
  • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (West Span) at Structurae
  • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (Old East Span) at Structurae
  • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (New East Span) at Structurae
  • Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. CA-32, "San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge", 415 photos, 20 measured drawings, 272 data pages, 48 photo caption pages
  • HAER No. CA-230, "San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Firehouse", 1 photo, 2 data pages, 1 photo caption page

January 01, 1970
francisco, oakland, bridge, known, locally, bridge, complex, bridges, spanning, francisco, california, part, interstate, direct, road, between, francisco, oakland, carries, about, vehicles, decks, includes, longest, bridge, spans, united, states, francisco, oa. The San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge known locally as the Bay Bridge is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California As part of Interstate 80 and the direct road between San Francisco and Oakland it carries about 260 000 vehicles a day on its two decks 3 4 It includes one of the longest bridge spans in the United States San Francisco OaklandBay BridgeThe western section of the bridge seen in 2022 Part of the eastern section can be seen near Yerba Buena Island to the left Coordinates37 49 5 N 122 20 48 W 37 81806 N 122 34667 W 37 81806 122 34667Carries10 lanes of I 80 throughout and pedestrians and bicycles east of Yerba Buena Island YBI CrossesSan Francisco Bayvia YBILocaleSan Francisco and Oakland California U S OwnerState of CaliforniaMaintained byCalifornia Department of Transportation and the Bay Area Toll AuthorityID number34 0003 West 34 0004 YBI Tunnel 33 0025 East 1 CharacteristicsDesignDouble decked suspension spans two connected by center anchorage tunnel cast in place concrete transition span self anchored suspension span precast segmental concrete viaductMaterialSteel concreteTotal lengthWest 10 304 ft 3 141 m East span 10 176 ft 3 102 m Total 4 46 miles 7 18 km excluding approachesWidthWest 5 traffic lanes totaling 57 5 ft 17 5 m East 10 traffic lanes totaling 258 33 ft 78 74 m HeightWest 526 ft 160 m 2 East 525 ft 160 m SAS Longest spanWest two main spans 2 310 ft 704 m East one main span 1 400 ft 430 m Clearance aboveWestbound 14 feet 4 3 m with additional clearance in some lanes Eastbound 14 67 feet 4 47 m Clearance belowWest 220 feet 67 m East 190 feet 58 m HistoryDesignerCharles H PurcellConstruction startJuly 8 1933Construction endNovember 12 1936OpenedNovember 12 1936 87 years ago 1936 11 12 StatisticsDaily traffic260 000 3 4 TollEast span westbound only FasTrak or pay by plate cash not accepted Effective January 1 2022 December 31 2024 2022 01 01 2024 12 31 7 00 3 50 carpools during weekday peak hours FasTrak only U S National Register of Historic PlacesDesignatedAugust 13 2001Reference no 00000525 1 5 Location The toll bridge was conceived as early as the California Gold Rush days with Emperor Joshua Norton famously advocating for it but construction did not begin until 1933 Designed by Charles H Purcell 6 7 and built by American Bridge Company it opened on Thursday November 12 1936 six months before the Golden Gate Bridge It originally carried automobile traffic on its upper deck with trucks cars buses and commuter trains on the lower but after the Key System abandoned its rail service on April 20 1958 the lower deck was converted to all road traffic as well On October 12 1963 traffic was reconfigured to one way traffic on each deck westbound on the upper deck and eastbound on the lower deck with trucks and buses also allowed on the upper deck 8 In 1986 the bridge was unofficially dedicated to former California Governor James Rolph 9 The bridge has two sections of roughly equal length the older western section officially known as the Willie L Brown Jr Bridge after former San Francisco Mayor and California State Assembly Speaker Willie L Brown Jr connects downtown San Francisco to Yerba Buena Island and the newer east bay section connects the island to Oakland The western section is a double suspension bridge with two decks westbound traffic being carried on the upper deck while eastbound is carried on the lower one The largest span of the original eastern section was a cantilever bridge During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake a portion of the eastern section s upper deck collapsed onto the lower deck and the bridge was closed for a month Reconstruction of the eastern section of the bridge as a causeway connected to a self anchored suspension bridge began in 2002 the new eastern section opened September 2 2013 at a reported cost of over 6 5 billion the original estimate of 250 million was for a seismic retrofit of the existing span 10 11 Unlike the western section and the original eastern section of the bridge the new eastern section is a single deck carrying all eastbound and westbound lanes Demolition of the old east span was completed on September 8 2018 12 Contents 1 Description 2 Early history 2 1 Planning 2 2 Construction 3 Design and construction 3 1 Opening day 3 2 Yerba Buena Tunnel 4 Post opening history 4 1 The Bridge Railway 4 2 Emperor Norton plaque and relocation 4 3 1960s 2010s 4 3 1 Roadway retrofit 4 3 2 Reconstruction of approaches 4 3 3 Yerba Buena Tunnel Reconstruction 4 3 4 Rail removal 4 3 5 1968 aircraft accident 4 3 6 1986 Cable lighting 4 3 7 James B Rolpf Jr designation 4 3 8 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and emergency repairs 4 3 9 2001 terrorism threat 4 3 10 Emperor Norton naming campaign 4 3 11 Western span retrofit 4 3 12 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill 4 3 13 October 2009 eyebar crack repair failure and bridge closure 4 4 2010s present 4 4 1 Willie L Brown Jr Bridge naming resolution 4 4 2 Eastern span replacement 4 4 3 2013 public light sculpture installation 4 4 4 Alexander Zuckermann Bike Path 4 4 5 Yerba Buena Tunnel closure and repair 4 4 6 2020 bus lane proposal 4 4 7 Opening of the Judge John Shutter Regional Shoreline 4 4 8 2016 2023 exit reconstructions 4 4 9 pro Palestinian ceasefire protest 5 Financing and tolls 5 1 Current toll rates 5 2 Historical toll rates 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksDescription edit nbsp Bridges crossing San Francisco Bay The bridge consists of two crossings east and west of Yerba Buena Island a natural mid bay outcropping inside San Francisco city limits The western crossing between Yerba Buena and downtown San Francisco has two complete suspension spans connected at a center anchorage 13 Rincon Hill is the western anchorage and touch down for the San Francisco landing of the bridge connected by three shorter truss spans The eastern crossing between Yerba Buena Island and Oakland was a cantilever bridge with a double tower span five medium truss spans and a 14 section truss causeway Due to earthquake concerns the eastern crossing was replaced by a new crossing that opened on Labor Day 2013 14 On Yerba Buena Island the double decked crossing is a 321 foot 98 m concrete viaduct east of the west span s cable anchorage the 540 foot 160 m Yerba Buena Tunnel through the island s rocky central hill another 790 8 foot 241 0 m concrete viaduct and a longer curved high level steel truss viaduct that spans the final 1 169 7 feet 356 5 m to the cantilever bridge 15 The toll plaza on the Oakland side westbound traffic only since 1969 has eighteen toll lanes with all charges now made either through the FasTrak electronic toll collection system or through invoices mailed through the USPS based on the license plate of the car per Department of Motor Vehicle records Metering signals are about 1 000 feet 300 m west of the toll plaza Two full time bus only lanes bypass the toll booths and metering lights around the right north side of the toll plaza other high occupancy vehicles can use these lanes during weekday morning and afternoon commute periods The two far left toll lanes are high occupancy vehicle lanes during weekday commute periods Radio and television traffic reports will often refer to congestion at the toll plaza metering lights or a parking lot in the median of the road for bridge employees the parking lot is about 1 900 feet 580 m long stretching from about 800 feet 240 m east of the toll plaza to about 100 feet 30 m west of the metering lights 16 During the morning commute hours traffic congestion on the westbound approach from Oakland stretches back through the MacArthur Maze interchange at the east end of the bridge onto the three feeder highways Interstate 580 Interstate 880 and I 80 toward Richmond 17 Since the number of lanes on the eastbound approach from San Francisco is structurally restricted eastbound backups are also frequent during evening commute hours The western section of the Bay Bridge is currently restricted to motorized freeway traffic Pedestrians bicycles and other non freeway vehicles are not allowed to cross this section A project to add bicycle pedestrian lanes to the western section has been proposed but is not finalized A Caltrans bicycle shuttle operates between Oakland and San Francisco during peak commute hours for 1 00 each way 18 Freeway ramps next to the tunnel provide access to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island Because the toll plaza is on the Oakland side the western span is a de facto non tolled bridge traffic between the island and the main part of San Francisco can freely cross back and forth Those who only travel from Oakland to Yerba Buena Island and not the entire length to the main part of San Francisco must pay the full toll Early history editDeveloped at the entrance to the bay San Francisco was well placed to prosper during the California Gold Rush Almost all goods not produced locally arrived by ship as did numerous travelers and erstwhile miners But after the first transcontinental railroad was completed in May 1869 San Francisco was on the wrong side of the Bay and separated from the new rail link Many San Franciscans feared that the city would lose its position as the regional center of trade Businessmen had considered the concept of a bridge spanning the San Francisco Bay since the Gold Rush days During the 1870s several newspaper articles explored the idea In early 1872 a Bay Bridge Committee was hard at work on plans to construct a railroad bridge The April 1872 issue of the San Francisco Real Estate Circular reported on this committee The Bay Bridge Committee lately submitted its report to the Board of Supervisors in which compromise with the Central Pacific was recommended also the bridging of the bay at Ravenswood and the granting of railroad facilities at Mission Bay and on the water front Wm C Ralston ex Mayor Selby and James Otis were on this committee A daily newspaper attempts to account for the advice of these gentlemen to the city by hinting that they were afraid of the railroad company and therefore made their recommendations to suit its interests 19 The self proclaimed Emperor Norton decreed three times in 1872 that a suspension bridge be constructed to connect Oakland with San Francisco In the third of these decrees in September 1872 Norton frustrated that nothing had happened proclaimed WHEREAS we issued our decree ordering the citizens of San Francisco and Oakland to appropriate funds for the survey of a suspension bridge from Oakland Point via Goat Island also for a tunnel and to ascertain which is the best project and whereas the said citizens have hitherto neglected to notice our said decree and whereas we are determined our authority shall be fully respected now therefore we do hereby command the arrest by the army of both the Boards of City Fathers if they persist in neglecting our decrees Given under our royal hand and seal at San Francisco this 17th day of September 1872 20 nbsp Sketch of the proposed Rush San Francisco Trans Bay Suspension Bridge 1913 21 Unlike most of Emperor Norton s eccentric ideas his decree to build a bridge had a widespread public and political appeal Yet the task was too much of an engineering and economic challenge since the bay was too wide and too deep there In 1921 more than forty years after Norton s death an underground tube was considered but it became clear that one would be inadequate for vehicular traffic 22 Support for a trans bay crossing increased in the 1920s based on the popularity and availability of automobiles Planning edit nbsp Preliminary layout studies for the bridge with Figures H and P selected as the final construction choice for western and eastern sections The state legislature and governor passed a law effective in 1929 to establish the California Toll Bridge Authority Stats 1929 Chap 763 and to authorize it and the State Department of Public Works to build a bridge connecting San Francisco and Alameda County Stats 1929 Chap 762 23 24 The state appointed a commission to evaluate the idea and various designs for a bridge across the Bay the Hoover Young Commission Its conclusions were made public in 1930 25 In January 1931 Charles H Purcell the State Highway Engineer of California who had also served as the secretary of the Hoover Young Commission assumed the position of Chief Engineer for the Bay Bridge Glenn B Woodruff served as design engineer for the project He explained in a 1936 article that several elements of the bridge required not only new designs but also new theories of design 26 To make the bridge feasible a route was chosen via Yerba Buena Island which would reduce both the material and the labor needed Since Yerba Buena Island was a U S Navy base at the time the state had to gain approval of the U S Congress for this purpose as it regulates the armed services and supervises all naval and military bases After a great deal of lobbying California received Congressional approval to use the island on February 20 1931 subject to final approvals by the Departments of War Navy and Commerce 27 The state applied for permits from the 3 federal departments as required The permits were granted in January 1932 and formally presented in a ceremony on Yerba Buena Island on February 24 1932 28 On May 25 1931 Governor James Rolph Jr signed into law two acts one providing for the financing of state bridges by revenue bonds and another creating the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Division of the State Department of Public Works On September 15 1931 this new division opened its offices at 500 Sansome Street in San Francisco 29 During 1931 numerous aerial photographs were taken of the chosen route for the bridge and its approaches 30 That year engineers had not determined the final design concept for the western span between San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island although the idea of a double span suspension bridge was already favored 31 In April 1932 the preliminary final plan and design of the bridge was presented by Chief Engineer Charles Purcell to Col Walter E Garrison Director of the State Department of Public Works and to Ralph Modjeski head of the Board of Engineering Consultants Both agencies approved and preparation of the final design proceeded 32 33 In 1932 Joseph R Knowland a former U S Congressman from California traveled to Washington to help persuade President Herbert Hoover and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to advance 62 million to build the bridge Construction edit nbsp The Bay Bridge under construction at Yerba Buena Island in 1935 Before work got underway 12 massive underwater telephone cables were moved 1 000 feet north of the proposed bridge route by crews of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co during the summer of 1931 34 Construction began on July 9 1933 35 after a groundbreaking ceremony attended by former president Herbert Hoover dignitaries and local beauty queens 36 The western section of the bridge between San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island presented an enormous engineering challenge The bay was up to 100 feet 30 m deep in places and the soil required new foundation laying techniques 22 A single main suspension span some 4 100 feet 1 2 km in length was considered but rejected as it would have required too much fill and reduced wharfage space at San Francisco had less vertical clearance for shipping and cost more than the design ultimately adopted 37 The solution was to construct a massive concrete anchorage halfway between San Francisco and the island and to build a main suspension span on each side of this central anchorage 38 East of Yerba Buena Island the bay to Oakland was spanned by a 10 176 foot 3 102 km combination of double cantilever five long span through trusses and a truss causeway forming the longest bridge of its kind at the time 22 The cantilever section was longest in the nation and third longest anywhere 39 Much of the original eastern section was founded upon treated wood pilings Because of the very deep mud on the bay bottom it was not practical to reach bedrock although the lower levels of the mud are quite firm Long wooden pilings were crafted from entire old growth Douglas fir trees which were driven through the soft mud to the firmer bottom layers 40 The construction project had casualties twenty four men would die while constructing the bridge 41 Design and construction editCalifornia Department of Transportation engineer C H Purcell served as chief engineer for the Bay Bridge including the construction of the Yerba Buena Tunnel Before starting excavation the ground through which the western half of the tunnel would be bored was stabilized by injecting cement grout under pressure through 25 1 5 inch 38 mm holes bored into the loose rock over the crown of the tunnel 42 After excavating the western and eastern open portals three drifts were bored from west to east along the path of the tunnel one at the crown and the other two at the lower corners 42 43 The first drift broke through in July 1934 approximately one year after the start of construction 44 A ceremonial party led by Governor Merriam celebrated the completion of the first 12 foot square 3 7 m drift on July 24 by walking through it followed by a short speech 45 46 The space between the three drifts was then excavated resulting in a single arch shaped bore in cross section and the tunnel roof was constructed using 16 inch 410 mm steel I beam ribs spaced 3 feet 0 91 m apart to support the rock which were then embedded in concrete up to 3 feet 0 91 m thick at the crown 42 47 No cave ins occurred during the excavation of the tunnel 47 After the roof was completed the remaining core of rock between the tunnel roof and lower deck was excavated using a power shovel 42 By May 1935 work on removing the core was progressing and 40 steel ribs had been placed concrete embedment was just starting 48 Removal of the core was completed on November 18 1935 49 Once the excavation was complete the upper deck was placed and the interior ceiling above the upper deck was lined with tiles 47 The last concrete poured during the construction of the Bay Bridge was part of the upper deck lining in late summer 1936 49 This included the emplacement of regularly spaced refuge bays deadman holes along the south wall of the lower deck tunnel escape alcoves common in all railway tunnels into which track maintenance workers could duck if a train came along 50 These remain and are visible to eastbound motorists today The completed tunnel bore is 76 feet 23 m wide and 58 feet 18 m high overall and the dimensions of the tunnel interior are 66 feet 20 m wide and 53 feet 16 m high 51 In 1936 it was hailed as the world s largest bore tunnel 52 53 The cross sectional area of the upper half is 1 500 square feet 140 m2 and the lower half is 1 000 square feet 93 m2 54 Reminders of the long gone bridge railway survive along the south side of the lower Yerba Buena Tunnel These are the regularly spaced refuge bays deadman holes escape alcoves common in all railway tunnels along the wall into which track maintenance workers could safely retreat if a train came along The north side which always carried only motor traffic lacks these holes 55 56 Opening day edit The bridge opened on November 12 1936 at 12 30 p m In attendance were the former US president Herbert Hoover Senator William G McAdoo and the Governor of California Frank Merriam Governor Merriam opened the bridge by cutting gold chains across it with an acetylene cutting torch 57 The San Francisco Chronicle report of November 13 1936 read nbsp The illuminated western span as seen from the Embarcadero in San Francisco nbsp Schematic drawing of the Bay Bridge the greatest traffic jam in the history of S F a dozen old fashioned New Year s eves thrown into one the biggest and most good natured crowd of tens of thousands ever to try and walk the streets and guide their autos on them This was the city last night the night of the bridge opening with every auto owner in the bay region seemingly trying to crowd his machine onto the great bridge And those who tried to view the brilliantly lighted structure from the hilltops and also view the fireworks display were numbered also in the thousands Every intersection in the city particularly those near the San Francisco entrance to the bridge was jammed with a slowly moving auto caravan Every available policeman in the department was called to duty to aid in regulating the city s greatest parade of autos One of the greatest traffic congestions of the evening was at Fifth and Mission Streets with downtown traffic and bridge bound traffic snarled in an almost hopeless mass To add to the confusion traffic signals jammed and did not synchronize Police reported that there was no lessening of the traffic over the bridge all lanes being crowded with Oakland or San Francisco bound machines far into the night The total cost was US 77 million 22 Before opening the bridge was blessed by Cardinal Secretary of State Eugene Cardinal Pacelli later Pope Pius XII 58 Because it was in effect two bridges strung together the western spans were ranked the second and third largest suspension bridges Only the George Washington Bridge had a longer span between towers As part of the celebration a United States commemorative coin was produced by the San Francisco Mint A half dollar the obverse portrays California s symbol the grizzly bear while the reverse presents a picture of the bridge spanning the bay A total of 71 369 coins were sold some from the bridge s tollbooths 59 Yerba Buena Tunnel edit nbsp Traveling through the westbound upper level of the Yerba Buena tunnel The Yerba Buena passage utilizes the Yerba Buena Tunnel also known as the Yerba Buena Island Tunnel The tunnel is 76 feet 23 m wide 58 feet 18 m high and 540 feet 160 m long 15 It is the largest diameter transportation bore tunnel in the world 22 The large amount of material that was excavated in boring the tunnel was used for a portion of the landfill over the shoals lying adjacent to Yerba Buena Island to its north a project which created the artificial Treasure Island The contract to build the Yerba Buena Cable Anchorage Tunnel amp Viaduct segment was opened for bids on March 28 1933 and awarded to the low bidder Clinton Construction Company of California for 1 821 129 50 equivalent to 34 million in 2023 60 42 61 Yerba Buena Island was the main site of the official groundbreaking for the Bay Bridge on July 9 1933 when President Franklin D Roosevelt remotely set off a dynamite blast on the eastern side of the island at 12 58 p m local time 62 43 Former President Herbert Hoover and Governor James Rolph were onsite the two men were the first to turn over the earth with ceremonial golden spades 63 Other ceremonies took place simultaneously in San Francisco on Rincon Hill and Oakland Harbor 62 64 The Yerba Buena Tunnel opened along with the rest of the Bay Bridge on November 12 1936 As of 2019 update the tunnel lacks an official name 65 Post opening history editThe Bridge Railway edit nbsp A Key System interurban crossing the bridge Construction of the Bridge Railway began on November 29 1937 with the laying of the first ties 66 The first train was run across the Bay Bridge on September 23 1938 a test run utilizing a Key System train consisting of two articulated units with California Governor Frank Merriam at the controls 67 On January 14 1939 the San Francisco Transbay Terminal was dedicated The following morning January 15 1939 the electric interurban trains started in revenue service running along the south side of the lower deck of the bridge The terminal originally was supposed to open at the same time as the Bay Bridge but had been delayed Trains over the Bridge Railway were operated by the Sacramento Northern Railroad Western Pacific the Interurban Electric Railway Southern Pacific and the Key System 68 Freight trains never used the bridge The tracks left the lower deck in San Francisco just southwest of the end of 1st St They then went along an elevated viaduct above city streets looping around and into the terminal on its east end Departing trains exited on the loop back onto the bridge 69 The loop continued to be used by buses until the terminal s closure in 2010 The tracks left the lower deck in Oakland The Interurban Electric Railway tracks ran along Engineer Road and over the Southern Pacific yard on trestles some of it is still standing and visible from nearby roadways onto the streets and dedicated right of ways in Berkeley Albany Oakland and Alameda The Sacramento Northern and Key System tracks went under the SP tracks through a tunnel which still exists and is in use as an access to the EBMUD treatment plant and onto 40th St Due to falling ridership Sacramento Northern and IER service ended in 1941 70 nbsp Disused passengers facilities on Yerba Buena Island for riders traveling northbound On September 13 1942 a stop was opened at Yerba Buena Island to serve expanded wartime needs on adjacent Treasure Island 71 Despite the vital role the railroad played the last train went over the bridge in April 1958 The tracks were removed and replaced with pavement on the Transbay Terminal ramps and Bay Bridge The Key System handled buses over the bridge until 1960 when its successor AC Transit took over operations It still handles service today running to a new transbay terminal located in the same vicinity in San Francisco the Transbay Transit Center Emperor Norton plaque and relocation edit In 1872 the San Francisco entrepreneur and eccentric Emperor Norton issued three proclamations calling for the design and construction of a suspension bridge between San Francisco and Oakland via Yerba Buena Island formerly Goat Island 72 A 1939 plaque honoring Emperor Norton for the original idea for the Bay Bridge was dedicated by the fraternal society E Clampus Vitus and was installed at The Cliff House in February 1955 In November 1986 in connection with the bridge s 50th anniversary the plaque was moved to the Transbay Terminal the public transit and Greyhound bus depot at the west end of the bridge in downtown San Francisco When the terminal was closed in 2010 the plaque was placed in storage 73 1960s 2010s edit Roadway retrofit edit Until the 1960s the upper deck 58 feet 18 m wide between curbs carried three lanes of traffic in each direction and was restricted to automobiles only 22 The lower deck carried three lanes of truck and bus traffic with autos allowed on the north side of the bridge 22 In the 1950s traffic lights were added to set the direction of travel in the middle lane but there still remained no divider Two interurban railroad tracks on the south half of the lower deck carried the electric commuter trains 74 In 1958 the tracks were replaced with pavement but the reconfiguration to what the traffic eventually became did not take place until 1963 The Federal highway on the bridge was originally a concurrency of U S Highway 40 and U S Highway 50 The bridge was re designated as Interstate 80 in 1964 and the western ends of U S 40 and U S 50 are now in Silver Summit Utah and West Sacramento California respectively nbsp A double balanced cantilever bridge five truss bridges and two truss causeways that connected Yerba Buena Island to Oakland It was replaced by the current SAS span and was dismantled in 2016 Reconstruction of approaches edit The original western approach to and exit from the upper deck of the bridge was a long connector to Fifth Street branching to Harrison St for westward traffic off the bridge and Bryant St for eastward traffic entering There was also an on ramp to the upper deck on Rincon Hill from Fremont Street which later became an off ramp and an off ramp to First Street later extended over First St to Fremont St The lower deck ended at Essex and Harrison St just southwest of there the tracks of the bridge railway left the lower deck and curved northward into the elevated loop through the Transbay Terminal that was paved for buses after rail service ended 75 The eastern approach to the bridge included a causeway landing for the incline section and the construction of three feeder highways interlinked by an extensive interchange 76 which in later years became known as The MacArthur Maze A massive landfill was emplaced extending along the north edge of the existing Key System rail mole to the existing bayshore and continuing northward along the shore to the foot of Ashby Avenue in Berkeley 77 The fill was continued northward to the foot of University Avenue as a causeway which enclosed an artificial lagoon subsequently developed by the WPA as Aquatic Park The three feeder highways were U S Highway 40 Eastshore Highway which led north through Berkeley U S Highway 50 38th Street later MacArthur Blvd which led through Oakland and State Route 17 which ran parallel to U S 50 along the Oakland Estuary and through the industrial and port sections of the city The current approaches were constructed in the 1960s as the original ones were not up to interstate highway standards and were designed mainly for local use Yerba Buena Tunnel Reconstruction edit As originally completed the upper deck was reserved for automobile traffic and carried six lanes each 9 feet 8 inches 2 95 m wide 54 The lower deck was further divided into three lanes of traffic for heavy trucks each 10 feet 4 inches 3 15 m wide and the two railroad tracks on the south side 27 feet 8 2 m wide for both tracks 51 54 The initial design in 1932 called for the two rail tracks to flank a central truck deck on the lower level 78 After Key System trains stopped running over the bridge in 1958 bids were opened on October 11 1960 to rebuild the tunnel The rebuild consisted of multiple stages of work 54 79 Remove Key System rails lower rail deck and repave Lower the truck traffic half of the lower deck by 3 feet 0 91 m and repave Remove center columns supporting upper deck Lower the upper deck by 16 inches 410 mm by placing precast concrete units After the reconstruction the tunnel would handle only road traffic The upper deck was lowered to accommodate heavy truck traffic as each deck would now carry five lanes of unidirectional traffic The upper deck was dedicated to westbound traffic and the lower deck was dedicated to eastbound traffic 79 The impact to traffic during reconstruction of the tunnel was minimized mainly by working outside normal commuting hours and through the use of a portable steel bridge 26 feet 7 9 m long and 58 feet 18 m wide designed to fit between the curbs of the existing upper deck 54 The bridge spanned the gap between the new upper deck and old upper deck and the overall elevation change of 26 inches 660 mm caused drivers to slow to 15 miles per hour 24 km h resulting in traffic jams 80 81 The first accident caused by The Hump the nickname the bridge acquired after prominent warning signs advertising its presence occurred just twelve minutes after it was first deployed on November 25 1961 82 The new precast upper deck units were each 7 feet 8 inches 2 34 m long and were installed in two halves One side of each half rested on a temporary falsework erected in the middle of the lower deck and the other side rested on the shoulder of the tunnel wall previously used to support the old upper deck After the two halves were fastened together a steel form was used to close the 1 foot 6 inch wide 0 46 m gap between halves and concrete was poured in the gap 54 The upper deck rests on 12 inch wide 30 cm shoulders built into the tunnel wall padded by 1 2 inch thick 1 3 cm Masonite 83 The planned completion date for tunnel reconstruction was July 1962 84 but The Hump was not dismantled until October 27 1962 The San Francisco Chronicle marked the occasion by quipping The Hump produced more jams than Grandma ever made 82 After reconstruction both the upper and lower decks featured 16 feet 4 9 m of vertical clearance Upper deck clearance is restricted by the tunnel portal and lower deck clearance is restricted by the upper deck Rail removal edit nbsp Daytime view of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco seen from Yerba Buena Island nbsp A view of the Bay Bridge from the Bank of America building Automobile traffic increased dramatically in the ensuing decades of the bridge s opening This among us other things resulted in the Key Systems decline and by the 1960s having rails on the bridge had become obsolete and detriment to traffic as they carried nothing on them Work began on removing the tracks in October 1963 After the work was completed the Bay Bridge was reconfigured with five lanes of westbound traffic on the upper deck and five lanes of eastbound traffic on the lower deck The Key System originally planned to end train operations in 1948 when it replaced its streetcars with buses but Caltrans did not approve of this Trucks had their ban lifted and were allowed on the top deck for the first time 22 lt ref gt Due to this the upper deck was retrofitted to handle the increased loads with understringers added and prestressing added to the bottom of the floor beams This retrofit is still in place today and is visible to Eastbound traffic on the western span In current times there have been attempts to restore rail service to the bridge but none were successful A study released in 2000 estimated the cost of restoring rail service across the bridge at up to 8 billion 14 2 billion in 2023 85 1968 aircraft accident edit On February 11 1968 a U S Navy training aircraft crashed into the cantilever span of the bridge killing both reserve officers aboard The T2V SeaStar based at NAS Los Alamitos in southern California was on a routine weekend mission and had just taken off in the fog from nearby NAS Alameda The plane struck the bridge about 15 feet 5 m above the upper deck roadway and then sank in the bay north of the bridge 86 There were no injuries among the motorists on the bridge 87 One of the truss sections of the bridges was replaced due to damage from the impact 88 1986 Cable lighting edit The series of lights adorning the westbound spans suspension cables were added in 1986 as part of the bridge s 50th anniversary celebration 89 James B Rolpf Jr designation edit The bridge was unofficially dedicated to James B Sunny Jim Rolph Jr 90 but this was not widely recognized until the bridge s 50th anniversary celebrations in 1986 The official name of the bridge for all functional purposes has always been the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge and by most local people it is referred to simply as the Bay Bridge Rolph a Mayor of San Francisco from 1912 to 1931 was the Governor of California at the time construction of the bridge began He died in office on June 2 1934 two years before the bridge opened leaving the bridge to be named for him out of respect 22 nbsp A view of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge western span from the waterfront in San Francisco 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and emergency repairs edit nbsp A collapsed section of roadway deck after the 1989 earthquake On the evening of October 17 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake which measured a 6 9 on the moment magnitude scale 91 a 50 foot 15 m section of the upper deck of the eastern truss portion of the bridge at Pier E9 collapsed onto the deck below indirectly causing one death The bridge was closed for just over a month as construction crews repaired the section That same year the bridge reopened to traffic on November 18 2001 terrorism threat edit On November 2 2001 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks Governor Gray Davis announced a threat of a rush hour attack against a West Coast suspension bridge a group which includes the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge some time between November 2 and 7 resulting in an increase of openly armed law enforcement patrols 92 93 A small fraction of drivers shifted to ferries and BART 94 It was later revealed that crews had secretly been working under armed guard for several weeks to harden the suspension cable attachment points which were vulnerable to cutting with common weapons and tools An anchor room was filled with concrete doors welded shut and a razor wire fence added A blast wall was also added to defend against a potential truck bomb 94 95 In the end no attack occurred Emperor Norton naming campaign edit In November 2004 after a campaign by San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Phil Frank then San Francisco District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced a resolution to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors calling for the entire two bridge system from San Francisco to Oakland to be named for Emperor Norton 96 On December 14 2004 the Board approved a modified version of this resolution calling for only new additions i e the new eastern crossing to be named The Emperor Norton Bridge 20 Neither the City of Oakland nor Alameda County passed any similar resolution so the effort went no further Western span retrofit edit nbsp Obsolete hot riveted laced ties left original eastern span and bolted box beam retrofit right western span The western section has undergone a lot of extensive seismic retrofitting During the retrofit much of the structural steel supporting the bridge deck was replaced while the bridge remained open to traffic Engineers accomplished this by using methods similar to those employed on the Chicago Skyway 97 The entire bridge was fabricated using hot steel rivets which are impossible to heat treat and so remain relatively soft Analysis showed that these could fail by shearing under extreme stress Therefore at most locations rivets were replaced with high strength bolts 98 Most bolts had domed heads placed facing traffic so they looked similar to the rivets that were removed 99 verification needed This work had to be performed with great care as the steel of the structure had for many years been painted with lead paint which had to be carefully removed and contained by workers with extensive protective gear so that they would not suffocate citation needed Most of the beams were originally constructed of two plate I beams joined with lattices of flat strip or angle stock depending upon structural requirements These have all been reconstructed by replacing the riveted lattice elements with bolted steel plate and so converting the lattice beams into box beams This replacement included adding face plates to the large diagonal beams joining the faces of the main towers which now have an improved appearance when viewed from certain angles Diagonal box beams have been added to each bay of the upper and lower decks of the western spans These add stiffness to reduce side to side motion during an earthquake and reduce the probability of damage to the decking surfaces Analysis showed that some massive concrete supports could burst and crumble under likely stresses In particular the western supports were extensively modified First the location of existing reinforcing bar is determined using magnetic techniques In areas between bars holes are drilled Into these holes is inserted and glued an L shaped bar that protrudes 15 to 25 cm 6 to 10 in citation needed This bar is retained in the hole with a high strength epoxy adhesive The entire surface of the structure is thus covered with closely spaced protrusions A network of horizontal and vertical reinforcing bars is then attached to these protrusions Mold surface plates are then positioned to retain high strength concrete which is then pumped into the void After removal of the formwork the surface appears similar to the original concrete This technique has been applied elsewhere throughout California to improve freeway overpass abutments and some overpass central supports that have unconventional shapes Other techniques such as jacket and grout are applied to simple vertical posts see the seismic retrofit article The western approaches have also been retrofitted in part but mostly these have been replaced with new construction of reinforced concrete 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill edit In 2007 a container ship then named the Cosco Busan and subsequently renamed the Hanjin Venezia allided with the Delta Tower fender resulting in the Cosco Busan oil spill 100 101 102 103 October 2009 eyebar crack repair failure and bridge closure edit During the 2009 Labor Day weekend 104 closure for a portion of the replacement a major crack was found in an eyebar significant enough to warrant bridge closure 105 Working in parallel with the retrofit California Department of Transportation Caltrans and its contractors and subcontractors were able to design engineer fabricate and install the pieces required to repair the bridge delaying its planned opening by only 1 1 2 hours The repair was not inspected by the Federal Highway Administration which relied on state inspection reports to ensure safety guidelines were met 106 On October 27 2009 during the evening commute the steel crossbeam and two steel tie rods repaired over Labor Day weekend 107 snapped off the Bay Bridge s eastern section and fell to the upper deck 108 109 110 This may have been due to metal on metal vibration from bridge traffic and wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour 90 km h which resulted in one of the rods breaking off and caused one of the metal sections to come crashing down 111 Three vehicles were either struck by or hit the fallen debris though there were no injuries 112 113 114 115 On November 1 Caltrans announced that the bridge would probably stay closed at least through the morning commute of Monday November 2 after repairs performed during the weekend failed a stress test on Sunday 116 BART and the Golden Gate Ferry systems added supplemental service to accommodate the increased passenger load during the bridge closure 117 The bridge reopened to traffic on November 2 2009 The pieces that broke off on October 27 were a saddle crossbars and two tension rods 112 118 2010s present edit Willie L Brown Jr Bridge naming resolution edit In June 2013 nine state assemblymen joined by two state senators introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution No 65 ACR 65 to name the western crossing of the bridge for former California Assembly Speaker and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown 119 Six weeks later a grassroots petition was launched seeking to name the entire two bridge system for Emperor Norton 120 In September 2013 the petition s author launched a nonprofit The Emperor s Bridge Campaign now known as The Emperor Norton Trust that advocates for adding Emperor Norton Bridge as an honorary name rather than renaming the bridge and that undertakes other efforts to advance Norton s legacy 121 The state legislative resolution naming the western section of the Bay Bridge the Willie L Brown Jr Bridge passed the Assembly in August 2013 and the Senate in September 2013 122 A ceremony was held on February 11 2014 marking the resolution and the installation of signs on either end of the section 123 Eastern span replacement edit Main article Eastern span replacement of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge For various reasons the eastern section would have been too expensive to retrofit compared to replacing it so the decision was made to replace it The replacement section underwent a series of design changes both progressive and regressive with increasing cost estimates and contractor bids The final design included a single towered self anchored suspension span starting at Yerba Buena island leading to a long inclined viaduct to the Oakland touchdown 124 Separated and protected bicycle lanes are a visually prominent feature on the south side of the new eastern section The bikeway and pedestrian path across the eastern span opened in October 2016 and carries recreational and commuter cyclists between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island 125 The original eastern cantilever span had firefighting dry standpipes installed No firefighting dry or wet standpipes were designed for the eastern section replacement although the firefighting wet standpipes do exist on the original western section visible on both the north side upper and lower decks citation needed The original eastern section closed permanently to traffic on August 28 2013 and the replacement span opened for traffic five days later 126 The original eastern section was dismantled between January 2014 and November 2017 127 128 Eastern span original and replacement nbsp Some new construction 2004 nbsp Substantial progress 2011 nbsp The completed replacement and the old bridge 2013 nbsp Rest of old and new bridge June 2015 nbsp Artist s simulation of final appearance after old span demolition nbsp The eastern span in 2017 2013 public light sculpture installation edit On March 5 2013 a public art installation called The Bay Lights was activated on the western span s vertical cables The installation was designed by artist Leo Villareal and consists of 25 000 LED lights originally scheduled to be on nightly display until March 2015 129 However on December 17 2014 the non profit Illuminate The Arts announced that it had raised the 4 million needed to make the lights permanent the display was temporarily turned off starting in March 2015 in order to perform maintenance and install sturdier bulbs and then re lit on January 30 2016 130 131 In order to reduce driver distractions the privately funded display is not visible to users of the bridge only to distant observers This lighting effort is intended to form part of a larger project to light the bay 132 Villareal used various algorithms to generate patterns such as rainfall reflections on water bird flight expanding rings and others Villareal s patterns and transitions will be sequenced and their duration determined by computerized random number generator to make each viewing experience unique 133 Owing to the efficiency of the LED system employed the estimated operating cost is only US 15 00 per night The lights were switched off permanently at 8 pm on March 5 2023 the 10th anniversary of the artwork This was done due to their poor condition and increasing costs to maintian properly There is a plan to raise additional funds and install a new set of lights later in the year 134 Alexander Zuckermann Bike Path edit The pedestrian and bicycle route on the eastern section opened on September 3 2013 and is named after Alexander Zuckermann founding chair of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition 135 This forms a transbay route for the San Francisco Bay Trail Until October 2016 the path did not connect to Yerba Buena and Treasure Island sidewalks due to the need to demolish more of the old eastern section before final construction 136 On May 2 2017 public access was extended to seven days a week 6 a m to 9 p m 137 with occasional closure days for continued demolition of the old bridge foundations 138 This work was completed on November 11 2017 139 Yerba Buena Tunnel closure and repair edit On January 30 2016 a chunk of concrete the size of an automobile tire fell from the tunnel wall into the slow lane of eastbound traffic on the lower deck of the Yerba Buena Tunnel causing a minor accident The concrete fell from where the upper deck is connected to the tunnel wall Based on an examination of photographs a professor from Georgia Tech postulated that water infiltration into the concrete wall had caused the reinforcing steel to corrode and expand forcing a chunk of the tunnel wall out 140 A subsequent California Department of Transportation Caltrans investigation identified 12 spots on both sides of the tunnel wall in the lower deck space showed signs of corrosion induced damage but no immediate risk of further spalling The apparent cause was rainwater leaking from upper deck drains Caltrans engineers speculated the Masonite pads had swelled due to rainwater infiltration cracking the tunnel walls and allowing moisture in to the reinforcing steel 83 Repairs to the degraded concrete started in February 2017 Drains and catch basins were replaced to reduce the likelihood of clogging and fiberglass reinforced mortar was used to patch removed concrete The repairs which required some daytime lane closures were expected to last until June 2017 141 2020 bus lane proposal edit In January 2020 the AC Transit and BART boards of directors supported the establishment of dedicated bus lanes on the bridge 142 143 In February 2020 Rob Bonta introduced state legislation to begin planning bus lanes on the bridge 144 Opening of the Judge John Shutter Regional Shoreline edit On October 21 2020 the Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline park opened to the public Located at the foot of the bridge the opening of the park has led to easier access to the bike and pedestrian path due to improved parking and pedestrian access 145 2016 2023 exit reconstructions edit In the 1960s directional reconfiguration there were three off ramps added to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island a single left hand side exit in the western direction at the east end of the tunnel a left hand side exit in the eastern direction at the west end of the tunnel originally signed as just Treasure Island and a right hand side exit in eastern direction at the east end of the tunnel originally signed as just Yerba Buena Island 146 147 The eastbound left exit in particular presented an unusual hazard drivers had to slow within the normal traffic flow and move into a very short off ramp that ended in a short radius turn left turn accordingly a 15 MPH advisory was posted there The turn had been further narrowed from its original design by the installation of crash pads on the island side The eastbound and westbound on ramps were then on the usual right hand side but they did not have dedicated merge lanes forcing drivers to await gaps in traffic and then accelerate from a stop sign to traffic speeds in a short distance In 2016 a new on ramp and off ramp at the east end of the tunnel were opened in the western direction on the right hand side of the roadway replacing the left hand side off ramp in that direction 148 Meanwhile the eastbound right hand side off ramp and on ramp at the east end of the tunnel was demolished during the reconstruction of the eastern span of the bridge A new on ramp on this side was built with a dedicated merge lane but the off ramp s replacement was not completed until early May 2023 well after the bridge s bike path from the Oakland side to the island was fully completed The eastbound left hand side off ramp and westbound on ramp at the west end of the tunnel are then scheduled then close as early as late May 2023 while the western span undergoes a seismic retrofit 146 147 pro Palestinian ceasefire protest edit On November 16 2023 around 7 40 AM PST more than 80 pro Palestinian protesters blocked the five westbound lanes on Interstate 80 on the eastern span to demand ceasefire to the 2023 Israel Hamas war Some of the protesters parked their cars in the five westbound lanes threw their keys in the bay rolled out banners demanding ceasefire and an end to genocide in Gaza and pretended to be in body bags shutting down the Bay Bridge This created a traffic jam from the toll plaza in Oakland to the tower of the eastern span The protesters were arrested by the California Highway Patrol and all traffic was diverted to Yerba Buena Island All five westbound lanes were then reopened in the afternoon 149 Later that evening at about 5 30 PM PST on one of the five eastbound lanes there was a car accident close to the eastern span tower again closing eastbound traffic for around an hour 150 151 Eight days later on November 24 2023 the day after Thanksgiving more than 100 pro Palestinian protesters from the same protest group of the one at the eastern span protest again rolling out two identical banners after a four day ceasefire took effect between Hamas and Israel It took place in downtown San Francisco again demanding permanent ceasefire and an end to genocide in Gaza 152 Financing and tolls editCurrent toll rates edit nbsp Bay Bridge by night in 1998 Tolls are only collected from westbound traffic at the toll plaza on the Oakland side of the bridge Those just traveling between Yerba Buena Island and the main part of San Francisco are not tolled All electronic tolling has been in effect since 2020 and drivers may either pay using the FasTrak electronic toll collection device using the license plate tolling program or via a one time payment online Effective January 1 2022 December 31 2024 2022 01 01 2024 12 31 the regular toll rate for passenger cars on weekends is 7 Under a congestion pricing scheme on weekdays the rate increases to 8 during peak traffic hours and decreases to 6 during non peak hours Also during peak traffic hours carpool vehicles carrying three or more people clean air vehicles or motorcycles may pay a discounted toll of 3 50 if they have FasTrak and use the designated carpool lane Drivers must pay within 48 hours after crossing the bridge or they will be sent a toll violation invoice No additional fees will be added to the toll violation if it is paid within 21 days 153 Historical toll rates edit When the Bay Bridge opened in 1936 the toll was 65 cents equivalent to 14 27 in 2023 89 collected in each direction by men in booths fronting each lane of traffic Within months the toll was lowered to 50 cents in order to compete with the ferry system and finally to 25 cents since this was shown sufficient to pay off the original revenue bonds on schedule equivalent to 10 6 and 5 3 in 2023 respectively citation needed In 1951 there were eighty collectors working various shifts 154 On Monday September 1 1969 Labor Day a change of policy resulted in the toll being collected thereafter only from westbound traffic at twice the previous rate eastbound vehicles were toll exempt 155 Tolls were subsequently raised to finance improvements to the bridge approaches required to connect with new freeways and to subsidize public transit in order to reduce the traffic over the bridge The toll was increased by a quarter dollar to 75 cents in 1978 equivalent to 3 5 in 2023 where it remained for a decade 156 Caltrans the state highway transportation agency maintains seven of the eight San Francisco Bay Area bridges The Golden Gate Bridge is owned and maintained by the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District 157 The basic toll for automobiles on the seven state bridges was raised to 1 by Regional Measure 1 approved by Bay Area voters in 1988 156 158 A 1 seismic retrofit surcharge was added in 1998 by the state legislature originally for eight years but since then extended to December 2037 AB1171 October 2001 159 On March 2 2004 voters approved Regional Measure 2 raising the toll by another dollar to a total of three dollars equivalent to 4 84 in 2023 An additional dollar was added to the toll starting January 1 2007 to cover cost overruns concerning the replacement of the eastern span The Metropolitan Transportation Commission a regional transportation agency in its capacity as the Bay Area Toll Authority administers RM1 and RM2 funds a significant portion of which are allocated to public transit capital improvements and operating subsidies in the transportation corridors served by the bridges Caltrans administers the second dollar seismic surcharge and receives some of the MTC administered funds to perform other maintenance work on the bridges The Bay Area Toll Authority is made up of appointed officials put in place by various city and county governments and is not subject to direct voter oversight 160 Due to further funding shortages for seismic retrofit projects the Bay Area Toll Authority again raised tolls on all Bay Area bridges in its control this excludes the Golden Gate Bridge in July 2010 161 The toll rate for autos on other Bay Area bridges was increased to five dollars but in the Bay Bridge a variable pricing tolling scheme based on congestion was implemented The Bay Bridge congestion pricing scheme charged a 6 toll from 5 a m to 10 a m and 3 p m to 7 p m Monday through Friday During weekends cars paid 5 Carpools before the implementation were exempted but began to pay 2 50 and the carpool toll discount became available only to drivers with FasTrak electronic toll devices The toll remained at the previous toll of 4 at all other times on weekdays 162 163 The Bay Area Toll Authority reported that by October 2010 fewer users are driving during the peak hours and more vehicles are crossing the Bay Bridge before and after the 5 10 a m period in which the congestion toll goes into effect Commute delays in the first six months dropped by an average of 15 compared with 2009 164 165 For vehicles with at least 3 axles the toll rate was 5 per axle 166 In June 2018 Bay Area voters approved Regional Measure 3 to further raise the tolls on all seven of the state owned bridges to fund 4 5 billion worth of transportation improvements in the area 167 168 Under the passed measure the tolls on the Bay Bridge will be raised by 1 on January 1 2019 then again on January 1 2022 and again on January 1 2025 Thus under the congestion pricing scheme the tolls for autos during the peak weekday rush hours will be 7 in 2019 8 in 2022 and 9 in 2025 for the non rush periods 5 in 2019 6 in 2022 and 7 in 2025 and on weekends 6 in 2019 7 in 2022 and 8 in 2025 169 In September 2019 the MTC approved a 4 million plan to eliminate toll takers and convert all seven of the state owned bridges to all electronic tolling citing that 80 percent of drivers are now using Fastrak and the change would improve traffic flow 170 On March 20 2020 accelerated by the COVID 19 pandemic all electronic tolling was placed in effect for all seven state owned toll bridges 171 The MTC then installed new systems at all seven bridges to make them permanently cashless by the start of 2021 172 In April 2022 the Bay Area Toll Authority announced plans to remove all remaining unused toll booths and create an open road tolling system which functions at highway speeds 173 nbsp Panorama showing the western span 2007 nbsp Panorama showing the Bay Bridge with the new eastern span 2017See also edit nbsp Transport portal nbsp Engineering portal nbsp California portal nbsp San Francisco Bay Area portal 49 Mile Scenic Drive Bay Bridge Troll Cosco Busan oil spill Golden Gate Bridge List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in California Southern Crossing California proposed parallel bridge Treasure Island DevelopmentReferences editNotes a b National Register of Historic Places Registration Form National Park Service USDoI Retrieved July 28 2012 San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Archived November 3 2010 at the Wayback Machine a b Traffic Census Program California Department of Transportation 2015 Retrieved July 14 2017 Traffic Volumes Annual Average Daily Traffic a b San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Metropolitan Transportation Commission Bay Area Toll Authority 2014 15 Retrieved July 14 2017 45 5 million toll paid vehicles 91 0 million trips annually National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service March 13 2009 San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge West Structurae Nicolas Janberg May 12 2006 Retrieved August 8 2008 San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge East Structurae Nicolas Janberg February 28 2007 Retrieved August 8 2008 Bay Bridge Artery Chris Carlson Found SF orig 2013 updated 2008 Named Freeways Highways Structures and Other Appurtenances in California PDF California Department of Transportation January 2009 p 41 Archived from the original PDF on May 23 2013 First Cars Cross SF Oakland Bay Bridge s New Span ABC News Retrieved September 3 2013 Jaffe Eric October 13 2015 From 250 Million to 6 5 Billion The Bay Bridge Cost Overrun CityLab Archived from the original on September 28 2017 Retrieved September 28 2017 Old Bay Bridge Demolition California Department of Transportation San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Bay Bridge Public Information Office September 8 2009 Archived from the original on June 22 2021 Retrieved November 16 2010 Self Anchored Suspension SAS Span Caltrans Archived from the original on October 26 2010 Retrieved July 15 2010 Anticipated Completion Date late 2013 a b Yerba Buena Crossing Contract No 04 5 As Built Drawings Caltrans 2006 Richards Gary December 5 2008 From the Two Trees to the Sig Sanchez Bay Area road nicknames explained San Jose Mercury News Bay Area News Group Retrieved February 24 2017 Rebounding Economy Prompts Rise in Freeway Congestion Press release Metropolitan Transportation Commission September 14 2005 Archived from the original on November 2 2010 Retrieved July 12 2008 Caltrans District 4 Bicycle Resources California Department of Transportation July 14 2008 Archived from the original on November 22 2010 Retrieved July 26 2008 Complimentary to Selby Ralston and Otis San Francisco Real Estate Circular April 1872 Archived from the original on June 16 2011 Retrieved July 13 2008 a b Herel Suzanne December 15 2004 Emperor Norton s name may yet span the bay San Francisco Chronicle pp A 1 Archived from the original on June 4 2011 Retrieved July 12 2008 Crane Lorin P April 1913 Proposed Suspension Bridge Over San Francisco Bay Overland Monthly 61 4 375 77 a b c d e f g h i The San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Facts at a glance Caltrans toll bridge program California Department of Transportation Archived from the original on November 3 2010 Retrieved July 12 2008 Statutes of California 48th Session 1929 Chaps 762 3 p 1489 California Highways and Public Works May June 1929 p 15 California Highways and Public Works December 1930 p 8 Woodruff Glenn B November 1936 New Problems of Design Solved by Bridge Engineers PDF Official Journal of the California Department of Highways and Public Works San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Dedication Number 21 via Metropolitan Transportation Commission U S Statutes at Large 71st Congress Chap 238 pp 1192 3 California Highways and Public Works February 1932 p 22 California Highways and Public Works November 1936 p 12 Aerial photographs of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Approaches 1931 Fairchild Aerial Surveys Inc California Highways and Public Works June 1931 p 5 California Highways and Public Works October 1931 p 12 California Highways and Public Works April 1932 p 22 Spectacular Job at Bottom of Sea 10 Boals 33 Men Remove Phone Cables California Highways and Public Works July 1931 p 12 13 Billions for Building Time Vol XXII no 4 New York July 24 1933 ISSN 0040 781X Archived from the original on September 16 2009 Retrieved December 17 2008 Scott Mall November 12 2021 FreightWaves Classics San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge celebrates 85th anniversary today FreightWaves Retrieved October 20 2022 Leboski pp 339 40 World s Largest Bridge rest on sunken skyscrapers Popular Science February 1935 Petroski p 340 Reisner p 113 Building the Bay Bridge 1930s vs today August 9 2013 a b c d e Safety Method of Boring Yerba Buena Tunnel Leaves Core to be Removed PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 13 no 9 California Department of Public Works September 1935 pp 20 21 Retrieved December 20 2017 a b Huge Monolith Rises from Bay Waters to Bear Bridge Tower PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 11 no 12 California Department of Public Works December 1933 pp 14 15 Retrieved December 20 2017 Yerba Buena Tunnel Diggers Near Light Madera Tribune June 23 1934 Retrieved December 20 2017 Governor Merriam Leads First Party Through Yerba Buena Pioneer Bore PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 12 no 8 California Department of Public Works August 1934 pp 16 17 Retrieved December 20 2017 Island shaft for Bay span is completed Healdsburg Tribune United Press July 25 1934 Retrieved December 21 2017 a b c Andrew Charles E February 1937 Construction History of San Francisco Bay Bridge PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 15 no 2 California Department of Public Works pp 10 11 20 Retrieved December 20 2017 Bay Bridge to Have 16 Toll Stations All Located on the Oakland Approach PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 13 no 5 California Department of Public Works May 1935 pp 12 13 Retrieved December 20 2017 Far inside Yerba Buena miners have bored ribs down from a crown tunnel to two side tunnels and placed 40 I beams in these lateral drifts For 20 feet 6 1 m steel lining has been placed on top of the I beam ribs and the space between these plates and the rock roof has been packed with broken rock The work of concreteing this loose rock above the steel all of which later will be encased in concrete has just been started a b Purcell C H November 1936 Chief Engineer Purcell Tells Construction Story of the Bridge PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 14 no 11 California Department of Public Works pp 6 8 Retrieved December 20 2017 Tunnel Section and Details Yerba Buena Crossing San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Sup Drawing No 19A PDF State of California Dept of Public Works June 1934 Archived from the original PDF on April 18 2003 a b Yerba Buena Tunnel Bore Completed with Removal of all Core PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 13 no 12 California Department of Public Works December 1935 pp 26 27 Retrieved December 20 2017 Ready great fetes start bridge trips Madera Tribune November 10 1936 Retrieved December 20 2017 Facts about the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Madera Tribune November 12 1936 Retrieved December 20 2017 The Yerba Buena Island Tunnel 65 feel wide by 52 feet high through which a four story building could be towed upright is the largest diameter bore in the world a b c d e f Raab N C January February 1962 Bay Bridge Second Phase of Reconstruction Nearing Completion PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 41 no 1 2 California Department of Public Works pp 36 43 Archived PDF from the original on December 3 2017 Retrieved December 20 2017 State of California Dept of Public Works Tunnel Section and Details Yerba Buena Crossing San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge June 1934 Sup Drawing No 19A PDF p 28 kevinsyoza July 3 2010 San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Lower Deck Eastbound Drive California Archived from the original on November 13 2021 via YouTube Two Bay Area Bridges U S Department of Transportation January 18 2005 Archived from the original on October 11 2009 Retrieved June 13 2008 Caltrans Facts Information Caltrans Archived from the original on April 7 2007 Retrieved February 4 2007 Commemoratives Classic Commemorative Silver and Gold 1936 San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Opening Coin Value Guide whitman com Archived from the original on December 18 2018 Retrieved December 18 2018 Johnston Louis Williamson Samuel H 2023 What Was the U S GDP Then MeasuringWorth Retrieved November 30 2023 United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series Savings of Over 9 000 000 Shown in San Francisco Oakland Bridge Bids PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 11 no 4 California Department of Public Works April 1933 pp 4 15 Retrieved December 20 2017 a b Three fetes mark start of Bay Bridge Healdsburg Tribune Enterprise and Scimitar July 13 1933 Retrieved December 20 2017 Purcell C H July August 1933 Governor Rolph Breaking Ground for Bay Bridge Puts Hundreds to Work PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 11 no 7 8 California Department of Public Works pp 2 3 12 13 26 Retrieved December 20 2017 President Expected to Assist in Bay Bridge Ceremony PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 11 no 5 California Department of Public Works May 1933 p 6 Retrieved December 20 2017 2019 Named Freeways Highways Structures and Other Appurtenances in California PDF Report California Department of Transportation 2020 Retrieved May 31 2021 California Highways and Public Works December 1937 p 23 California Highways and Public Works October 1938 p 18 19 Swenerton Jeff When Trains Ruled the East Bay Archived from the original on November 16 2018 Retrieved March 11 2017 Building Bay Bridge Railroad California Highways and Public Works v 16 no 5 May 1938 pp 8 11 Red Trains in the East Bay Robert Ford Interurbans Special 65 1977 The Key Route Harre Demoro Interurbans Special 95 1985 p 111 The Emperor Norton Trust Emperor Norton s Bridge Proclamations permanent dead link A Plaque in 1939 The Emperor Norton Trust Ford Robert S Red Trains in the East Bay 1977 Interurbans Publications ISBN 978 0 916374 27 3 p 258 The old Transbay Terminal When trains came first San Mateo Daily Journal online edition September 24 2018 California Highways and Public Works November 1936 p 27 Great Fill and Wall for Bay Bridge Approach California Highways and Public Works Dec 1933 p 13 Purcell C H January 1932 Transbay Bridge Tunnel Unit to be World s Largest Cross Section Bore PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 10 no 1 California Department of Public Works pp 6 7 17 Retrieved December 20 2017 a b Bid Opening Set for Yerba Buena Tunnel PDF California Highways and Public Works Vol 39 no 9 10 California Department of Public Works September October 1960 p 40 Archived PDF from the original on August 26 2016 Retrieved December 20 2017 Commuters Learning to Live with Bay Bridge Tunnel Hump Madera Tribune United Press International November 28 1961 Retrieved December 20 2017 Bay Bridge Hump Work On Madera Tribune United Press International December 28 1961 Retrieved December 20 2017 a b Nolte Carl February 5 1996 Bridge Has Been on This Road Before Bay span s revamp was a mess in 60s San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved December 21 2017 a b Van Derbeken Jaxon February 21 2016 More damage found to concrete wall in Bay Bridge tunnel San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved December 21 2017 Bay Bridge Hump Is Inspected By Works Director Santa Cruz Sentinel Associated Press December 27 1961 Retrieved December 20 2017 Cabanatuan Michael June 20 2000 Cost of Bay Bridge Rail System Put at Up to 8 Billion in Study Critics accuse planners of not taking transit proposal seriously San Francisco Gate Retrieved December 21 2023 Jet Smashes Into Bay Span Lodi News Sentinel United Press International February 12 1968 p 1 Bay Bridge rammed by Navy jet trainer Spokane Daily Chronicle Associated Press February 12 1968 p 2 The Battle of the Bay Bridge Check Six com 2002 Archived from the original on October 19 2010 Retrieved July 13 2008 a b East Span News California Department of Transportation May 2002 Archived from the original on May 25 2011 Retrieved July 13 2008 Named Freeways Highways Structures and Other Appurtenances in California California Department of Transportation 2013 p 43 Historic Earthquakes United States Geological Survey January 25 2008 Archived from the original on September 11 2008 Retrieved July 13 2008 Security tightened at Calif bridges after threat CNN November 2 2001 Campbell Duncan November 2 2001 Terrorist alert at California bridges The Guardian a b Nieves Evelyn November 6 2001 A NATION CHALLENGED THE CALIFORNIA ALERT Bay Area s Bridge Wary Jam Ferries and Trains The New York Times Stober Dan November 5 2001 Bay Bridge Vulnerability Was Kept Secret The Washington Post Resolution in Support of the Emperor Norton Bridge introduced to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin 2004 Archived December 15 2013 at the Wayback Machine Ali Khan Mohiuddin August 12 2014 Accelerated Bridge Construction Best Practices and Techniques 1 ed Elsevier p 282 ISBN 9780124072244 Retrieved September 24 2014 Reno Mark L Pohll Martin 1998 Seismic Retrofit of San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge West Crossing Transportation Research Record 1624 1 73 81 doi 10 3141 1624 09 S2CID 110996417 Paper 98 0809 Caltrans contract 04 0435U4 1999 2004 Bay Bridge fender repaired ahead of schedule December 22 2007 https safety4sea com wp content uploads 2019 05 NTSB Cosco Busan allision November 2007 pdf bare URL PDF https www oig dhs gov sites default files assets Mgmt OIG 08 38 Apr08 pdf bare URL PDF https www dco uscg mil Portals 9 DCO 20Documents 5p CG 5PC INV docs documents Cosco pdf bare URL PDF 5 September 2009 to 7 September 2009 DiGiacomo Janet September 6 2009 Officials Crack may keep Bay Bridge closed past Tuesday San Francisco California CNN Archived from the original on March 5 2010 Retrieved September 6 2009 Dearen Jason Thanawala Sudhin October 28 2009 Bay Bridge failure stirs fear anger over new span San Francisco Examiner Associated Press Archived from the original on November 1 2010 Retrieved November 1 2010 Emergency repair and detour connection completed on Bay Bridge Press Release Bay Bridge Public Information Office September 8 2009 Archived from the original on June 12 2010 Retrieved November 1 2009 Cabanatuan Michael Van Derbeken Jaxon Tucker Jill Jones Carolyn October 29 2009 Bridge parts couldn t take the wind San Francisco Chronicle Archived from the original on February 4 2010 Bay Bridge Closed for Eyebar Assessment and Repair Caltrans Retrieved October 29 2009 Archived November 2 2009 at the Wayback Machine photograph of bridge damage by commuter directly behind it Archived October 31 2009 at the Wayback Machine Bay Bridge closed indefinitely Archived October 29 2009 at the Wayback Machine KGO TV 7 ABC7News October 28 2009 9 33 pm a b Marshall John Leff Lisa October 28 2009 Tough commute likely after Bay Bridge rod snaps The Seattle Times Associated Press Retrieved June 16 2015 Dearin Jason Thanawala Sudhin October 28 2009 No estimate when Bay Bridge will open San Francisco Chronicle Archived from the original on October 30 2009 Cabanatuan Michael Berton Justin October 28 2009 Bay Bridge closed after repair falls apart San Francisco Chronicle Archived from the original on October 25 2010 Bay Bridge will remain closed for a few days Los Angeles Times October 28 2009 Archived from the original on October 29 2009 Jones Carolyn November 2 2009 Bay Bridge stays closed San Francisco Chronicle Archived from the original on February 6 2010 Cuff Denis Mara Janis October 28 2009 Extra ferry BART trains planned for morning commute Contra Costa Times Archived from the original on June 6 2011 KSBW Action News Sunrise 5 7am October 28 2009 California Legislature 2013 14 Regular Session Assembly Concurrent Resolution No 65 Relative to the Willie L Brown Jr Bridge June 12 2013 Justin Slaughter Petition to name Bay Bridge after Emperor Norton gains 1 000 signatures San Francisco Bay Guardian August 13 2013 EmperorNortonBridge org Archived December 8 2021 at the Wayback Machine links to information and petition for The Emperor Norton Trust s proposal to add Emperor Norton Bridge as an honorary name for the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge leaving in place all existing names and signage for the bridge and its constituent parts Official California Legislative Information Documents associated with ACR 65 Legislative Counsel of California Behold the Willie L Brown Jr Bridge KQED News Retrieved October 4 2014 Nader M Maroney B October 2007 One of a Kind Design The New San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Eastern Span STRUCTURE magazine Archived from the original PDF on July 28 2011 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATH Bay Bridge Info baybridgeinfo org Archived from the original on August 24 2017 Retrieved December 18 2018 Cabanatuan Michael September 13 2013 Bay Bridge eastern span opens San Francisco Chronicle Cabanatuan Michael January 28 2014 Demolition crews start chipping away at old Bay Bridge San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved September 14 2019 Demolition of Bay Bridge s old eastern span completed Bay City News Service November 11 2017 Retrieved September 14 2019 Wollan Malia March 4 2013 Long Overshadowed Bay Bridge Will Go From Drab Gray to Glowing The New York Times Egelko Bob December 17 2014 Bay Bridge light show will go on San Francisco Chronicle Archived from the original on December 31 2014 Retrieved May 7 2015 the nonprofit Illuminate the Arts announced Wednesday that it had raised the needed 4 million to reinstall the Bay Lights as a permanent fixture on the western end of the bridge Cuff Denis January 28 2016 Bay Bridge light sculpture turns back on Saturday night Contra Costa Times Retrieved January 30 2016 The Bay Lights Archived April 5 2018 at the Wayback Machine thebaylights org Bay Bridge light display dazzles San Francisco Includes video following a too long advertisement Mauhay Moore Sam March 6 2023 Light installation on San Francisco s Bay Bridge shuts off SF Gate Bicycle Die Hards Test Out Bay Bridge Bike Path NBC News September 3 2013 Retrieved October 26 2015 No longer the Bay Bridge Trail to nowhere SFGate October 23 2016 Retrieved December 13 2016 Bay Bridge bike path has new 2 million vista point will open seven days a week starting Tuesday The Mercury News April 29 2017 Retrieved November 25 2017 Bicycle and Pedestrian Path California Department of Transportation Archived from the original on August 24 2017 Retrieved November 25 2017 Old Bay Bridge Demolition California Department of Transportation Retrieved November 25 2017 Van Derbeken Jaxon February 6 2016 New Bay Bridge corrosion probe Concrete chunk falls in tunnel San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved December 21 2017 Cabanatuan Michael March 19 2017 Daytime lane closures for Bay Bridge tunnel repairs San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved December 21 2017 Bay Area transit agencies push for bus only lane on Bay Bridge KTVU January 18 2020 Swan Rachel January 13 2020 Adding a bus only lane on the Bay Bridge The idea seems simple Except it s not San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved November 21 2023 Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez February 21 2020 Lawmaker introduces legislation to kick off creation of Bay Bridge bus lane San Francisco Examiner Oakland s new Sutter Regional Shoreline park now open East Bay Times October 18 2020 Retrieved October 31 2020 a b The Bay Bridge Is Getting a New Yerba Buena Island Off Ramp Opening On Sunday sfist com May 4 2023 Archived from the original on May 9 2023 Retrieved May 10 2023 a b Will new Bay Bridge off ramp to Yerba Buena help reduce traffic San Francisco Chronicle May 4 2023 New Bay Bridge on off ramps to Treasure Island now open ABC 7 News San Francisco Oakland San Jose ABC 7 News October 22 2016 Retrieved October 26 2017 Around 80 protesters arrested after abandoning cars blocking westbound Bay Bridge CHP says ABC7 San Francisco November 16 2023 Retrieved November 17 2023 Eastbound lanes of Bay Bridge temporarily shut down due to accident KRON4 November 17 2023 Retrieved November 17 2023 Bay Bridge Accident news Today s latest updates CBS San Francisco www cbsnews com Retrieved November 17 2023 Pro Palestinian protesters gather across San Francisco Bay Area for Black Friday demonstrations CBS San Francisco www cbsnews com November 24 2023 Retrieved November 25 2023 San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge www bayareafastrak org CalTrans Retrieved July 10 2022 C H Garrigues Most Polite Man Nation s Business February 1951 pages 72 74 One Way Tolls to Start Monday on All Bridges The Argus Fremont California August 29 1969 image 5 a b History of California s bridge tolls PDF Metropolitan Transportation Commission archive 2010 Retrieved November 4 2021 Elliott Christopher May 7 1991 Singing those Golden Gate Blues Los Angeles Times Retrieved November 4 2021 Regional Measure 1 Toll Bridge Program bata mtc ca gov Bay Area Toll Authority Archived November 4 2010 at the Wayback Machine Dutra John October 14 2001 AB 1171 Assembly Bill Chaptered California State Assembly Archived from the original on March 15 2012 Retrieved August 7 2008 About MTC Metropolitan Transportation Commission October 15 2009 Archived from the original on November 3 2010 Retrieved October 15 2009 Frequently Asked Toll Questions Bay Area Toll Authority June 1 2010 Archived from the original on November 22 2010 Retrieved June 29 2010 Toll Increase Information Bay Area Toll Authority June 1 2010 Archived from the original on October 23 2010 Retrieved June 29 2010 Cabanatuan Michael May 13 2010 Reminder Bridge tolls go up July 1 San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved January 21 2011 Cabanatuan Michael January 12 2011 Conflicting findings on Bay Bridge congestion toll San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved January 21 2011 Bay Bridge Traffic Decreases After Congestion Pricing CBS News San Francisco January 12 2011 Retrieved January 21 2011 Toll Increase Information Multi Axle Vehicles Bay Area Toll Authority July 1 2012 Archived from the original on December 30 2013 Retrieved December 29 2013 Cabanatuan Michael June 6 2018 Regional Measure 3 Work on transportation improvements could start next year SFGate com Kafton Christien November 28 2018 Bay Area bridge tolls to increase one dollar in January except Golden Gate KTVU Tolls on Seven Bay Area Bridges Set to Rise Next Month Press release Metropolitan Transportation Commission December 11 2018 Retrieved December 16 2018 Smith Darrell September 7 2019 Do you drive to the Bay Area A big change is coming to toll booths at the bridges The Sacramento Bee Archived from the original on September 17 2019 Retrieved April 12 2020 Cash Toll Collection Suspended at Bay Area Bridges Metropolitan Transportation Commission March 20 2020 Retrieved March 20 2020 New Year Brings New Toll Collection System to Bay Area Bridges Metropolitan Transportation Commission December 28 2020 Retrieved December 28 2020 Cabanatuan Michael April 10 2022 Bay Area toll collectors are gone so what happens to the tollbooths Here s the 77 million answer San Francisco Chronicle Archived from the original on June 14 2022 Retrieved April 12 2022 Bibliography Findings and Recommendation For Completion of the Main Span of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project PDF Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program California Department of Transportation December 8 2004 Archived from the original PDF on June 25 2008 Retrieved July 13 2008 Petroski Henry 1995 Engineers of Dreams Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America New York Alfred A Knopf ISBN 0 679 43939 0 Reisner Marc 1999 A Dangerous Place California s Unsettling Fate Penguin Books Russell Ron March 17 2004 A Bridge Too Weak SF Weekly Retrieved September 10 2010 San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project Retrieved August 24 2005 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Official sites Bay Area FasTrak includes toll information on this and the other Bay Area toll facilities baybridgeinfo org Site by Caltrans about all current construction on the bridge California Department of Transportation Caltrans official Bay Bridge site Journals San Francisco To Have World s Greatest Bridges Popular Science 25 26 March 1931 White Tom January 1933 The Titan Of Bridges Popular Mechanics 10 14 Giant Switchboard Controls Lights on Longest Bridge Popular Mechanics 42 January 1937 Media Building the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge 1937 documentary on YouTube 17 minutes EarthCam San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Construction time lapse on YouTube Lower Deck Rail and Roadway Off Ramps 1939 Dorothea Lange photo San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Construction Collection MSS 722 Special Collections amp Archives UC San Diego Library Bridging San Francisco Bay PDH Online Course C577 Other Bay Bridge Oral History Project Bancroft Library UC Berkeley Symphonies in Steel Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate at The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco New Bay Bridge Archived from the original on August 19 2007 San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge West Span at Structurae San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Old East Span at Structurae San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge New East Span at Structurae Historic American Engineering Record HAER No CA 32 San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge 415 photos 20 measured drawings 272 data pages 48 photo caption pages HAER No CA 230 San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Firehouse 1 photo 2 data pages 1 photo caption page Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge amp oldid 1218969179, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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