bay area, CA folks. you ready for your new bridge?

[vash]

i cannot believe it is about to open.

i didnt work on that project a single day. but it is was amazing to watch it go up. seems like so much progress happened in the last year. sure it has it's new-worthy problems..

but we are gonna get a new landmark for sure. maybe not golden gate level landmarks stuff..but up there.

i'm gonna tour the construction site tomorrow. you can have a football game inside one of the bridges.

i'm ready for the bridge switch over to happen and be done with. traffic is gonna be insane.

[jyl]

Still no way to bicycle from East Bay to SF!

[latroz]

Will the bolts hold?

[vash]

Originally Posted by jyl

Still no way to bicycle from East Bay to SF!

yea. sucks.

the new bridge WILL have a bike lane to Treasure Island. it will dead end for the next year. they have to remove the old bridge, then build a connector to drop the cyclist off at the island. one year.

i think the trail starts at the IKEA. it will be awesome.

there are plans created and intial cost estimates to build on on the other bridge to connect the two cites. but i think the price tag was HUGE!! unless the governor starts to cycle..i dont see it happening.

[RonDent]

Vash,
Do you work for Caltran? My dad retired from Caltrans Bridges Dept. after 25 years.

[dan88911]

I don't drive to the city much. However last Saturday had an event there.
On my turn to the eastbay I glanced at the tower. I swear I saw a rust stain running down the west facing side near the top. I thought what the hell is that.

Big issues I have is the cost, the time it took to build.
And it's probably just a perception, is that Caltrains is screwed up like other government agencies ie. the DMV, postal service, IRS, State & Federal etc.

[bleucamaro]

Originally Posted by latroz

Will the bolts hold?

Of course they will, they came from Harbor Freight!

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by latroz

Will the bolts hold?

Also does it come with a guarantee against breakage because of earthquakes?

[Moses]

We spent $6 billion on a 5 lane bridge that replaces a 5 lane bridge. WHY??? Safety? How many people died on the old bridge during the earthquake? ONE.

It's an absurdity.

[Bugsinrugs]

The cost to fix the bolt screw up....23 million. Bonus to the main builder for opening on Labor Day...20 million. Maybe I am wrong here but shouldn't the bonus money go towards the bolt F... Up?

[SteamWolf]

You already have a bridge you greedy buggers :P

[BE911SC]

Ugly design and way, way over budget (of course). Should have spent a lot less to fix the original cantilever span.

(Born and raised in east bay. El Cerrito, to be exact.)

[BE911SC]

Originally Posted by Bugsinrugs

The cost to fix the bolt screw up....23 million. Bonus to the main builder for opening on Labor Day...20 million. Maybe I am wrong here but shouldn't the bonus money go towards the bolt F... Up?

There's no profit in doing the right thing. Today, that is.

Strauss came in well under estimates for the Golden Gate Bridge. Imagine that.

[widebody911]

I think it should have been built here in the US and not China

[trekkor]

Originally Posted by Moses

We spent $6 billion on a 5 lane bridge that replaces a 5 lane bridge. WHY??? Safety? How many people died on the old bridge during the earthquake? ONE.

It's an absurdity.

Yes


KT

[imcarthur]

So they shimmed it . . . Really? I realize that it is undoubtedly more complex . . . but shims?

Ian

[Tobra]

What did they do with the bolts made out of candy canes that they used originally to bolt it together?

It would be funny if it were not so infuriating how much money they squandered on that bridge.

Originally Posted by jyl

Still no way to bicycle from East Bay to SF!

I made it almost all the way from SF to the East Bay the day after the '89 earthquake.

Rode my mountain bike on the lower deck to where the bridge had collapsed. They had those concrete barriers up, but with a gap between them about 2-3 feet wide. I was checking it out, and heard a motor, coming fast. SFPD motorcycle cop roars up, "What are you doing?" Told him I was just checking it out, he tells me, "You can't be out here, get off the bridge." He then turns around, and takes off. Guess he had better things to do than write some dummy a ticket for riding around on a partially collapsed bridge.

[Mrmerlin]

link with bridge pictures


https://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+the+new+bay+bridge&client=firefox&hs=P6e&rls=com.yahoo:en-USfficial&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=IScUUtC3EOmCygHOsIDoDQ&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1638&bih=836

[A930Rocket]

Is this the bridge where the steel came from China? What a shame.

What's the story on the bolts?

[trekkor]

If I'm hearing the story correctly, the steel is all USA made.

Seems the bolts were not produced according to the job spec, but were installed anyway and have failed.


KT