Bay Area Bridges

[612bv3]

BAY AREA BRIDGES

The San Francisco Bay Area is one of a few metropolitan areas with a large body of water at the center. Due to the bay, bridges play a very important role in the Bay Area. This thread is for all the bridges that cross the San Francisco Bay and bay tributaries, big and small.

MAJOR BRIDGES

Golden Gate Bridge US 101, CA 1
Connects: San Francisco and Marin County
Opened: 1937
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&q=37...,0.045447&z=15

San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge Interstate 80
Connects: San Francisco and Oakland
Opened: 1936
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&q=37...,0.181789&z=13

San Mateo - Hayward Bridge CA 92
Connects: Foster City and Hayward, San Francisco Peninsula and East Bay
Opened: 1967
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&q=37...,0.045447&z=15

Dumbarton Bridge CA 84
Connects: Menlo Park and Fremont
Opened: 1982
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.50...5069,-122.1169

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge Interstate 580
Official Name: John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge
Connects: San Rafael and Richmond
Opened: 1956
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&q=37...,0.045447&z=15

Carquinez Bridge Interstate 80
Official Name: Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge (suspension bridge)
Connects: Crockett and Vallejo
Opened: 1958 (cantilever), 2003 (suspension)
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&q=38...,0.045447&z=15

Benicia - Martinez Bridge Interstate 680
Official Name: George Miller, Jr. Memorial Bridge (southbound span), Congressman George Miller Benicia - Martinez Bridge (northbound span)
Connects: Benicia and Martinez
Opened: 1962 (southbound span), 2007 (northbound span)
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&q=38...,0.045447&z=15

Antioch Bridge CA 160
Official Name: Senator John A. Nejedly Bridge
Connects: Antioch and Sacramento County
Opened: 1978
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&q=38...,0.045447&z=15

SAN FRANCISCO BRIDGES

China Basin Bridge Third Street
Opened: 1932
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...4,0.00284&z=19

Fourth Street Bridge Fourth Street
Opened: 1912
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...4,0.00284&z=19

Illinois Street Bridge Illinois Street
Opened: 2006
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...5,0.00284&z=19

Islais Creek Bridge Third Street
Opened: 1945
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...5,0.00284&z=19

ALAMEDA COUNTY BRIDGES

Bay Farm Island Bridge Highway 61
Opened: 1953
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.005681&z=18

Fruitvale Avenue Bridge Fruitvale Avenue
Opened: 1974
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.005681&z=18

High Street Bridge High Street
Opened: 1939
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.005681&z=18

Inner Harbor Railroad Bridge
Opened: 1951
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.005681&z=18

Newark Slough Railroad Bridge
Opened: 1910
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.005681&z=18

Park Street Bridge Park Street
Opened: 1934
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.005681&z=18

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY BRIDGES

Southern Pacific Carquinez Strait Bridge
Opened: 1930
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.022724&z=16

MARIN COUNTY BRIDGES

Corte Madera Railroad Bridge
Opened: ?
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.003613&z=19

Lagunitas Creek Bridge US 1
Opened: 1929
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.003613&z=19

Point Bonita Lighthouse Bridge
Opened: 1954
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.007226&z=18

NAPA COUNTY BRIDGES

Brazos Drawbridge
Opened: ?
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.014452&z=17

SAN MATEO COUNTY BRIDGES

Dumbarton Railroad Bridge
Opened: 1910
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.022724&z=16

SANTA CLARA COUNTY BRIDGES

East Dunne Avenue Bridge East Dunne Avenue
Opened: 1987
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.007226&z=18

Gilroy Hot Springs Road Bridge Hot Springs Road
Opened: 1921
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=U...,0.003613&z=19

SOLANO COUNTY BRIDGES

SONOMA COUNTY BRIDGES

[612bv3]

source: San Francisco Examiner

Golden Gate Bridge repairs require cyclists, pedestrians to share sidewalk

By: Will Reisman 05/31/11 4:00 AM
Examiner Staff Writer

Monday was a typical busy afternoon on the Golden Gate Bridge. Tourists snapped photos and gawked at the cityscape, parents pushed strollers and held their kids’ hands, and joggers dodged and weaved through dense crowds.

But the span will feel much busier starting today, when the western sidewalk shuts down for four months and thousands of cyclists and pedestrians commingle.

The Golden Gate Bridge transit district is closing the sidewalk — normally reserved for bicyclists on weekends, holidays and after 3:30 p.m. during the week — to complete seismic retrofitting on the span.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011...#ixzz1Nwj2mJer

[612bv3]

source: San Francisco Chronicle

Golden Gate Bridge begins march to 75th blowout
75 events, series of projects planned in year leading to span's 75th anniversary blowout

May 28, 2011|By Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday marked the 74th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge and the official kickoff of the yearlong celebration leading to the iconic span's diamond jubilee.

The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District has teamed up with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the National Park Service and the Presidio Trust to sponsor a series of events and capital projects to commemorate the milestone.

"Building the bridge was a tremendous achievement - an achievement that still endures," said Denis Mulligan, general manager of the bridge district. "The 75th anniversary is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate the landmark."

Read more: http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-05-2...t-bridge-board

[612bv3]

source: San Francisco Examiner

Bay Bridge detour construction complete

By: Bay City News 05/29/11 12:01 PM

Motorists crossing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge en route to various Memorial Day events this weekend don't need to expect any additional delays.

Work on the eastbound Bay Bridge detour near the Toll Plaza was completed Sunday morning, a Caltrans spokesman said.

Work to realign the eastbound lanes began Sunday at 1 a.m. and was finished at 8:15 a.m.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011...#ixzz1O6FAxW2h

[612bv3]

The photo is a bit old, but it's still awesome.

source: http://baybridgeinfo.org/

[redbaron_012]

There must be a billion pics of or on the Golden Gate but being there with the wind and fog rolling around is very special........


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Animo]

Check out the video: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8240433



OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- If you've driven near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge lately, you've probably couldn't help but notice a lot of work going on the new span, including two orange things hanging off the tower.

The two reddish-orange strips hanging from the west side of the new Bay Bridge tower are 12-foot-wide catwalks. Eventually, workers will walk on the steeply-angled ramps, installing a mile-long suspension cable that will wrap around the new bridge's hallmark tower reaching more than 500 feet above sea level.

"It is a 35-degree angle, but our workers are skilled and trained, experienced and know what they're doing," said Margena Wade with Caltrans.

The catwalks now sit about four feet below where the new cable will hang. A curved section of metal below the catwalk will route the cable to where it needs to go.

"There is an apparatus they're going to use to feed the cable through the footprint it needs to go in," Wade said. "It's a humongous thing."

Workers, who are no stranger to working at altitude, will be tethered to the catwalks as they work.

The cable on the new bridge will be one un-spliced mile of 137 bundles of cable, each bundle holding 127 small cables. In a warehouse near the bridge, the bundles of cable, each one mile long, sit waiting underneath blue tarps.

Two more catwalks still need to be installed on the eastern side of the tower, and work on putting the cable in place should begin sometime next year.

[Animo]

[phugiay]

Originally Posted by 612bv3

The photo is a bit old, but it's still awesome.

source: http://baybridgeinfo.org/

Nice pic. I can't wait for this bridge is completed . I am tired of the traffic on this bridge every time I need to cross the bay.

[612bv3]

image hosted on flickr

Bay Bridge catwalk illumination by jakeller, on Flickr

[612bv3]

Source: SF Chronicle

New piece connects Bay Bridge span

Michael Cabanatuan, Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday, October 29, 2011

(10-28) 14:43 PDT OAKLAND -- With cheers, applause and a Christmas tree, the final stretch of the new Bay Bridge was lowered into place this morning, linking Oakland with Yerba Buena Island.

Crews hoisted the final small section of the bridge deck into place around 11 a.m., connecting the skyway with the suspension span.

Following ironworker tradition, a six-foot Christmas tree in a pot was placed on top of the roadway. For decades, ironworkers have attached a Christmas tree to the last piece of structural metal they install.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...#ixzz1cV90vMOe

[612bv3]

Source: http://baybridgeinfo.org/

[612bv3]

Source: http://baybridgeinfo.org/

[SF1977]

Happy 75th to the Bay Bridge.

Similar to the ambitious lighting of the Eiffel Tower for its 100th anniversary, The Bay Lights will commemorate the Bay Bridge’s 75th Diamond Anniversary at seven times the scale of the famous Parisian landmark. The installation, created by internationally acclaimed artist Leo Villareal, will live for two years, providing a stunning fine-arts experience for the entire Bay Area and its visitors. Leo began his art career in San Francisco before moving to New York. He recently installed a piece in MOMA in NYC, and his work is in many private collections.The project also has a higher purpose beyond...

Source and article: http://www.rinconhillsf.org/art/3000...he-bay-bridge/

An animation of the lights in action:

http://vimeo.com/25870560

[612bv3]

Source: SJ Mercury News

Bay Bridge closure going smoothly, BART traffic up

By Rick Hurd and Chris De Benedetti
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 02/18/2012 06:55:09 PM PST
Updated: 02/18/2012 08:03:46 PM PST

The first 24 hours of the Bay Bridge's holiday weekend closure of its westbound lanes went smooth, a Caltrans spokesman said, with other arterials and mass transit seeing increased traffic.

BART reported thousands of extra riders as the transit system ran extra trains Saturday, and other Bay Area bridges reported some delays as motorists were forced to take detours to reach San Francisco from the East Bay.

Traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge was heavier than normal, bridge spokeswoman Mary Currie said, but vehicles were still moving about 35 mph at stretches of the bridge.

The Bay Bridge's westbound lanes closed at 8 p.m. Friday and are scheduled not to reopen until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Motorists still are able to drive on the lower deck from San Francisco toward Oakland.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19997276

[612bv3]

Source: NBC Bay Area

Bay Bridge Opens Early
Good weather allowed crews to finish work quickly.
Monday, Feb 20, 2012 | Updated 8:47 AM PST

The Bay Bridge's westbound upper deck reopened a day and a half ahead of schedule.

With all planned demolition and maintenance work completed, California Department of Transportation Officials began removing cones from the bridge and approaches around 7 p.m. Traffic was flowing freely by 7:30 p.m.

Motorists passing through the toll plaza are asked to drive carefully, since the merge will be different. While 20 lanes will still merge down to 5, they will curve slightly to the south, Ney said.

The bridge was not scheduled to reopen until Tuesday at 5 a.m., but Ney said unexpectedly good weather had allowed work to progress quickly.

Read more: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local...139701753.html

[Cal_Escapee]

Originally Posted by phugiay

I can't wait for this bridge is completed . I am tired of the traffic on this bridge every time I need to cross the bay.

I doubt very much the new bridge is going to make much difference in the traffic. All we will get for our billions is less of a chance to be dumped into the Bay in a major earthquake.

[612bv3]

Source: http://baybridgeinfo.org/

[Cal_Escapee]

FYI non-Bay Area readers--Doyle Drive is the southern on-ramp to the Golden Gate Bridge

Doyle Drive project continues with deficit closed
Michael Cabanatuan
Friday, March 2, 2012

Bay Area and state transportation officials have patched together a plan to keep the Doyle Drive replacement project rolling by closing a $54 million deficit.

Caltrans, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority came up with the plan in time to allow contractors to stay on schedule and start construction of the second phase of the $1.1 billion approach to the Golden Gate Bridge this summer.

"It works out perfectly," said Kome Ajise, a Caltrans manager for the project.

The shortfall, originally believed to be $60 million, became an issue this year after The Chronicle reported that some anticipated state and federal funding failed to come through. Because the second phase of the 1.6-mile Presidio Parkway will be built and maintained under an unusual private-public partnership, the consortium doing the work needs to obtain financing - and requires a complete funding plan to get the money.

Under a tentative agreement, the commission will contribute $34 million in federal money not yet dedicated to other pro-jects. The Transportation Authority will chip in $10 million in Proposition K sales tax reve, which has increased as the economy has improved, and Caltrans will add another $10 million, which will come from some of the money the agency expects to have available because of the partnership arrangement.

Caltrans typically finances projects up front then designs and maintains the roadwork that a contractor builds. Under the private-public partnership arrangement, however, the contractor, a European consortium known as Golden Link Partners, will design and build the roadway and maintain it for 30 years, with its own employees, before turning it over to the state. Caltrans plans to pay the consortium $488 million - $175 million when construction is completed in 2015 and the rest over 30 years . . . .

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BA7K1NF1FS.DTL

Great video overview of the project

[aarhusforever]

great video...thanks