San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

[dsk]

Somebody using this?

http://tinyurl.com/off78zy

How did it turn out.

I have designed/built parts of a little machine needed for making the eastern span. 

dsk

[twocvbloke]

I like how the first car in the line is a Honda CRV, an Accord would have been nicer though...

[WesternElectricBen]

I was their last year and went on it, I'm pretty sure that was the one. It was pretty good if I'm talking about the right thing.

Ben

[WesternElectricBen]

I like how the first car in the line is a Honda CRV, an Accord would have been nicer though...

I like the accord much more, my aunt has a 96  and it has had no issues, only routine maintenance. It will probably be mine when I learn to drive.

Ben

[rp2813]

It seems to be a big hit with commuters since unlike the old span, it has shoulders that allow stalls and accidents to be moved out of the way of moving traffic.  It opened the night of September 2nd, about ten hours ahead of schedule, which was targeted for 5 AM on the 3rd, in time for the morning commute after Labor Day weekend.  The entire bridge was closed for five days as crews did the work to tie in the new section to existing portions of I-80 at each end.

The first ceremonial car to cross the new eastern span was a 1932 Model A Ford.  It was also the last car to cross the old section before they shut it down.  I heard reports that this same car had crossed the entire length of the Bay Bridge on opening day in 1936.

Everything about the bridge is high tech, and it's already been designated the world's widest suspension bridge by Guinness, and should soon receive similar designation for being the longest single tower suspension bridge.

Lighting is all LED, and the roadway is lit from behind, so none of it gets in your eyes and the lighting is entirely even on all areas of the pavement.  One female friend described the decorative night lighting as "like a pearl necklace."  Was it all worth the terrific expense?  That's a matter of opinion but it's infinitely safer than the bridge it replaced, so when "The Big One" hits, the security to the commuting public will be considered priceless.

I plan to take a drive across it soon, now that the spectator traffic isn't nearly as heavy as it has been for the past couple of weeks.

The old section will be dismantled in exactly the reverse order that it went up, a process that will take a few years to finish.