San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by bay_area

Its really wide(10 lanes) cause it's the busiest bridge in the US, carrying approximately 300,000 cars daily. The Golden Gate Bridge is our postcard to the world, but the Bay Bridge is the region's "Main Street."

Isn't the 14 lane George Washington Bridge between NYC and NJ the busiest road bridge in the world? According to nycroads.com, the GWB has around 300,000 crossings per day, and according to Wikipedia, the San-Oak Bay bridge has about 280,000 daily crossings. It stands to reason. Not only does the GWB have 4 more lanes, but it's in a larger and more densly populated area.

[AG]

Originally Posted by crazyevildude

The old one can't withstand another earthquake without retrofitting it - hence the, building a new one. To leave it open would make the building of the new one a little pointless.

Surprisingly, the existing eastern span of the bridge itself actually has been retrofitted to deal with any earthquakes that might damage the bridge while the new one is under construction. Work had been done on the caissons around the base of the bridge.

[OettingerCroat]

Originally Posted by mr_storms

i wanna make sure, of the new bridge, what see so far is really only half of it right? because the completed bridge will actually be two seperate causeways running side by side, correct?

so when people say the causeway portion is nearly complete, really only one of the causeways is nearly complete. the 2nd hasn't been started.

am i right?

[mr_storms]

Yes, If you look closely you can see the second support column on the right starting to rise. and the first causeway isnt exactly done either .

From this render you can see that it will indeed be two seperate causeways

[OettingerCroat]

YAH YAH YAH ok i see it now, thx a lot man A LOT

[mic of Orion]

Old Bridge should be turned on to hanging gardens with trees and forest grown where used to be cars, create green oasis of some sort ,sport and recreational facilities running tracks and bicycle ways small venues like plaza and walkways with atmosphere you get in Venice beach or Malibu in LA...
Just one of many great ideas..

impressive, I am amazed, looks brill, very nice project... (new bridge)

[612bv3]

Originally Posted by OettingerCroat

i wanna make sure, of the new bridge, what see so far is really only half of it right? because the completed bridge will actually be two seperate causeways running side by side, correct?

so when people say the causeway portion is nearly complete, really only one of the causeways is nearly complete. the 2nd hasn't been started.

am i right?

The north-bound part of the causeway has already started. I think it started on September or October.

[OettingerCroat]

omg guys, i was driving of the bridge today, they are so far along!!!!! theyve already completed nearly equal parts of both causeways! theyre nearly to the big suspension column that will hold all the cables! my folks were driving on the way to Marin, so i couldnt exactly take any pictures.

but yah, just as a construction update, both causeways are close to being complete. maybe about 75-80%. I guess after that whole welding scandal, work resumed extremely quickly.

[Tazmaniadevil]

The Bay Bridge is my favorite in the SF area because of its great location entering downtown San Francisco. If you have never been to San Franciso, the approach after leaving the tunnel on Yerba Buena Island on the upper deck of the bridge leading into the city is spectacular.

[612bv3]

@Oettinger: It might seem like they're far along but it ain't opening soon. The suspension part has barely started and it wont be done anytime soon. Keep in mind that this is the first time they're attempting to build a self-anchored suspension bridge this large in an area where earthquakes are somewhat frequent. Personally, I would rather have a cable-stayed bridge than a self-anchored suspension.

[612bv3]

Another informative picture.

[OettingerCroat]

great pics 612bv3

and i meant that the causeways are really moving along. i know we wont be driving on that thing for maybe another full decade. thats ridiculous but thank that austrian goat-sodomiser for it.

i had NO idea about any designs other than the Self-Anchored Suspension Span, Asymetrical Cable-stayed, and fully flat causeway. the two-tower cable-stayer is cool too

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Tazmaniadevil

The Bay Bridge is my favorite in the SF area because of its great location entering downtown San Francisco. If you have never been to San Franciso, the approach after leaving the tunnel on Yerba Buena Island on the upper deck of the bridge leading into the city is spectacular.

I know what you mean. I saw that approach on video, and was blown away without even being there. I was thinking about days after.

[bay_area]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

Isn't the 14 lane George Washington Bridge between NYC and NJ the busiest road bridge in the world? According to nycroads.com, the GWB has around 300,000 crossings per day, and according to Wikipedia, the San-Oak Bay bridge has about 280,000 daily crossings. It stands to reason. Not only does the GWB have 4 more lanes, but it's in a larger and more densly populated area.

LOL...we had an argument about this on SSP. The title of 1st goes back and forth between the 2 bridges.

CalTrans own website states that traffic volume at the Bay Bridge is 295,000-so your correct..it actually surpasses 300,000 on weekends. Bay Area oddity.

[612bv3]

A BRIDGE SO FAR
SKYWAY SOARS OVER BAY AS NEW EAST SPAN TAKES SHAPE
- Michael Cabanatuan
Sunday, December 18, 2005









While political hand-wringing and bickering over the finances and design of the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge have made news in the past year and a half, construction crews have been hard at work on the bay, making steady progress on the new 2.2-mile-long span that will link Oakland and Yerba Buena Island.

The new eastern span is really two bridges joined at midspan -- 1.4 miles of twin concrete viaducts, known as the skyway, sitting side-by-side; and a 1,860-foot-long, self-anchored, single-tower suspension bridge connecting with Yerba Buena Island.

---------------------------------

Think of it as a thin white line hovering above the bay waters, designers say, then bursting with a flourish into a grand spire of steel and cable.

Workers for Kiewit/FCI/Manson, the joint venture building the skyway segment, have been plowing ahead with construction of the skyway while work on the foundation of the suspension span was halted.

They have completed 83 percent of the skyway, said Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney, with 96 percent of the eastbound viaduct finished and 60 percent of the westbound viaduct done. Last week, workers began attaching the first of the prefabricated, 15-foot-wide panels that will make up the bicycle and pedestrian path affixed to the eastbound viaduct.

Since construction began in 2002, crews have driven 160 piles deep into the bay, constructed all of the 28 concrete-and-steel foundations that will hold up the skyway, built 21 of the 28 braces that will hold up the road deck, and fabricated 397 of the 452 wing-like concrete deck segments being built in Stockton. A total of 276 of those have been shipped by barge to the construction site and hoisted into place.

At the west end of the skyway, two 200-foot-tall temporary towers have been erected in the past several weeks, and two more will join them soon. Two will serve as temporary supports for the end of the skyway, remaining in place until the western sections of the roadway are connected and can stand on their own. The other pair will support the complicated single-tower suspension bridge while it is built.

Who will build the so-called signature segment of the span -- and how much it will cost -- will be determined early next year. On Feb. 1, Caltrans officials will open the sealed bids, and construction is scheduled to begin later in the year. Work on the skyway is scheduled to be completed in the April 2007. And the entire bridge is expected to open to traffic in late 2013 -- 24 years after the Loma Prieta earthquake made its construction necessary.

----------------------------------

HOW IT LOOKS NOW

Western span retrofit Completed June 2004 The seismic retrofit of the twin suspension bridges connecting Yerba Buena Island to the western approach in San Francisco is complete (caissons were strengthened). A project to resurface the deck will take place in 2006.

Existing eastern span piers are supported by 60-year-old timber piles.

(The existing eastern span is scheduled to be demolished starting in September 2014)

HOW IT WILL LOOK IN 2013

-- Western approach replacement.

Estimated completion August 2009

This milelong structure connects the twin suspension bridges with Interstate 80 in San Francisco. The approach and its six on- and off-ramps are being replaced (within its own footprint) while remaining in service. The project is 57 percent complete, including the Fremont/Folsom Street ramp, which opened April 1.

-- Yerba Buena Island transition structures.

Estimated completion November 2013

These structures, which are under design, will connect the eastern suspension bridge to Yerba Buena Island and transition eastbound and westbound traffic from a side-by-side orientation to a double-deck configuration compatible with the island tunnel and western span.

-- Self-anchored suspension bridge.

Estimated completion March 2012

The world's largest single-tower, selfanchored suspension bridge went out to bid on Aug. 1 and the sealed bids will be opened Feb. 1. The structure connects the skyway bridge to the island transition structures. The marine foundations are being constructed under a separate contract and expected to be complete in June 2008. The land-based foundation on Yerba Buena Island was also constructed under a separate contract and was completed in October 2004.

-- Skyway bridge

Estimated completion April 2007

Twin precast concrete segmental bridges are supported by huge piers and piles now visible in the bay. The skyway, which is 83 percent complete, will connect the Oakland touchdown with the self-anchored suspension bridge.

-- Oakland touchdown

Estimated completion November 2013

This structure, currently under design, will connect the skyway to Interstate 80 in Oakland.

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URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...NGQTG9V7S1.DTL

[mr_storms]

nice article, thanks for update

[OettingerCroat]

great great great stuff 612bv3, making me drool

[Azn_chi_boi]

Construction looking good, is the construction behind or ahead of its plan?

I-80 will be assign to this bridge right?

[mr_storms]

yes, this is I-80. And im not sure how its going, but its most likely behind schedule (and over budget)

[612bv3]

Let me add that it's way WAY WAAYYY OVERBUDGET.

I think a few years ago, this bridge was expected to open in 2006. Another 7 more years if there isn't anymore delays. How hard is it to build a bridge! I just hope it opens before 2020.