PROJECT: SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE EAST SPAN SEISMIC SAFETY PROJECT
LOCATION: San Francisco-Oakland, California
TYPE OF PROJECT: Bridges: Long Span
SERVICE(S) PROVIDED: Design
OWNER: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
COMPLETION: 2004-2005
CONSTRUCTION COST: TBD

Description:
In a joint venture with Moffatt & Nichol Engineers and in association with Weidlinger Associates, Inc., T.Y. Lin International is providing complete design services for the replacement of the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The eastern span was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which resulted in a decision to replace the 60-year-old existing steel structure.

The new East Span will include two parallel, five-lane roadways, providing motorists with a sweeping view of the Bay Area, and will be constructed alongside the old span to minimize traffic interruptions. The design also includes provisions for future inclusion of rail. A bicycle/pedestrian path will provide additional access and recreational opportunities. The new lighting will transform the bridge into a Bay Area showpiece after dark.

State-of-the-art seismic engineering was used to design the new bridge with minimal environmental impact on the bay.

The concrete segmental skyway is the best structure to be supported on the deep mud and to cross the shallow water on the eastern side of the bay. The skyway portion is a simple, ribbon-like pair of structures that will provide panoramic views without becoming the dominant feature in the landscape.

 Project Highlights:
  • This is the single largest public contract for construction in California's history.
  • This will be the world's largest single-tower, self-anchored suspension bridge.
  • The new design is cable-suspended and self-anchored; the road deck serves as a compression member. This unusual design avoids additional anchor structures and foundations and reduces environmental impact.
  • Both the single-tower and self-anchoring features represent major innovations in bridge design. The tower is actually four pylons linked with "sacrificial" fuses designed to protect the load-bearing pylons during an earthquake.

Links:

Metropolitan Transportation Commission's (MTC) web site dedicated to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Replacement Project.

The California Alliance for Jobs presents NewBayBridge.org to illustrates and describe every phase of the new East Span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge.