Bay Bridge Update: Bridge Will Not Reopen Tuesday

The bridge had been scheduled to open at 5 AM Tuesday morning, but the Bay Bridge update indicated that they will not be able to complete emergency repairs in time to open the bridge as scheduled. Inspectors discovered the problem Saturday afternoon, a cracked steel link known as an eyebar, which caused officials to work round-the-clock in an attempt to complete repairs in time for the post Labor Day commute.

While authorities said the cracked eyebar had not been a danger to commuters, as the remaining 7 supports could handle the stress adequately, they also said that even without the necessity to close the bridge for the seismic retrofit, the crack, by itself, would have forced a bridge closure.

The damaged link, part of a network of eight similar pieces, is about 2 inches thick and was cracked halfway through. Crews are wrapping a custom-made steel saddle, which acts like a brace around a person's knee, around the link to redistribute stress away from the area. That will be attached to another saddle, set lower down the Bay Bridge span with steel tie rods.

With the Bay Bridge update given, public transit agencies have announced contingency plans. BART as well as ferry providers will increase service for Tuesday. BART is will run trains with additional cars, and ferries will be added to routes from Alameda/Harbor Bay, Alameda/Oakland, Larkspur and Vallejo.

Commuters forced to use cars will have to drive across the Richmond-San Rafael and Golden Gate bridges or the San Mateo Bridge to get to work.

The Bay Bridge will reopen to traffic on Wednesday at 5 AM.