San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge

Complex of two bridges spanning San Francisco Bay

San Francisco–Oakland
Bay Bridge

The western section of the bridge, seen in 2022. Part of the eastern section can be seen beyond Yerba Buena Island to the left.

Coordinates| 37°49′5″N 122°20′48″W﻿ / ﻿37.81806°N 122.34667°W﻿ / 37.81806; -122.34667
Carries|

* 10 lanes of  I-80
* Bicycles and pedestrians east of Yerba Buena Island (YBI)

Crosses| San Francisco Bay
via YBI
Locale| San Francisco and Oakland, California, U.S.
Owner| State of California
Maintained by| California Department of Transportation and the Bay Area Toll Authority
ID number|

* 34 0003 (West)
* 34 0004 (YBI Tunnel)
* 33 0025 (East)[1]

Characteristics
Design| Double-decked suspension spans (two, connected by center anchorage), tunnel, cast-in-place concrete transition span, self-anchored suspension span, precast segmental concrete viaduct
Material| Steel, concrete
Total length| West: 10,304 ft (3,141 m)
East span: 10,176 ft (3,102 m)
Total: 4.46 miles (7.18 km)
excluding approaches
Width| West: 5 traffic lanes totaling 57.5 ft (17.5 m)
East: 10 traffic lanes totaling 258.33 ft (78.74 m)
Height| West: 526 ft (160 m)[2]
East: 525 ft (160 m) (SAS)
Longest span| West: two main spans
2,310 ft (704 m)
East: one main span
1,400 ft (430 m)
Clearance above| Westbound: 14 feet (4.3 m), with additional clearance in some lanes
Eastbound: 14.67 feet (4.47 m)
Clearance below| West: 220 feet (67 m)
East: 190 feet (58 m)
History
Designer| Charles H. Purcell
Construction start| July 8, 1933 (original eastern and western spans)
January 29, 2002 (replacement eastern span)
Construction end| November 12, 1936 (original eastern and western spans)
September 2, 2013 (replacement eastern span)
Opened| November 12, 1936; 88 years ago (1936-11-12)
September 2, 2013; 11 years ago (2013-09-02)
Closed| August 28, 2013 (original eastern span)
Statistics
Daily traffic| 260,000[3][4]
Toll|

* East span, westbound only
* FasTrak or pay-by-plate, cash not accepted
* Effective January 1 – December 31, 2025 (2025-01-01 – 2025-12-31):
* $8.00
* $4.00 (carpools during weekday peak hours, FasTrak only)

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Designated| August 13, 2001
Reference no.| 00000525[1][5]
Location

The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, commonly referred to as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California. As part of Interstate 80 and the direct road between San Francisco and Oakland, it carries about 260,000 vehicles a day on its two decks.[3][4] It includes one of the longest bridge spans in the United States.

The toll bridge was conceived as early as the California gold rush days, with "Emperor" Joshua Norton famously advocating for it, but construction did not begin until 1933. Designed by Charles H. Purcell,[6][7] and built by American Bridge Company, it opened on Thursday, November 12, 1936, six months before the Golden Gate Bridge. It originally carried automobile traffic on its upper deck, with trucks, cars, buses and commuter trains on the lower, but after the Key System abandoned its rail service on April 20, 1958, the lower deck was converted to all-road traffic as well. On October 12, 1963, traffic was reconfigured to one way traffic on each deck, westbound on the upper deck, and eastbound on the lower deck, with trucks and buses also allowed on the upper deck.[8]

In 1986, the bridge was unofficially dedicated to former California governor James Rolph.[9]

The bridge has two sections of roughly equal length; the older western section, officially known as the Willie L. Brown Jr. Bridge (after former San Francisco Mayor and California State Assembly Speaker Willie L. Brown Jr.), connects downtown San Francisco to Yerba Buena Island, and the newer east bay section connects the island to Oakland. The western section is a double suspension bridge with two decks, westbound traffic being carried on the upper deck while eastbound is carried on the lower one. The largest span of the original eastern section was a cantilever bridge.

During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, a portion of the eastern section's upper deck collapsed onto the lower deck and the bridge was closed for a month. Reconstruction of the eastern section of the bridge as a causeway connected to a self-anchored suspension bridge began in 2002; the new eastern section opened September 2, 2013, at a reported cost of over $6.5 billion; the original estimate of $250 million was for a seismic retrofit of the existing span.[10][11] Unlike the western section and the original eastern section of the bridge, the new eastern section is a single deck carrying all eastbound and westbound lanes. Demolition of the old east span was completed on September 8, 2018.[12]

## Description

[edit]

Bridges crossing San Francisco Bay

The bridge consists of two crossings, east and west of Yerba Buena Island, a natural mid-bay outcropping inside San Francisco city limits. The western crossing between Yerba Buena and downtown San Francisco has two complete suspension spans connected at a center anchorage.[13] Rincon Hill is the western anchorage and touch-down for the San Francisco landing of the bridge connected by three shorter truss spans. The eastern crossing, between Yerba Buena Island and Oakland, was a cantilever bridge with a double-tower span, five medium truss spans, and a 14-section truss causeway. Due to earthquake concerns, the eastern crossing was replaced by a new crossing that opened on Labor Day 2013.[14] On Yerba Buena Island, the double-decked crossing is a 321-foot (98 m) concrete viaduct east of the west span's cable anchorage, the 540-foot (160 m) Yerba Buena Tunnel through the island's rocky central hill, another 790.8-foot (241.0 m) concrete viaduct, and a longer curved high-level steel truss viaduct that spans the final 1,169.7 feet (356.5 m) to the cantilever bridge.[15]

The eastern span of the bridge, as viewed from Yerba Buena Island

The toll plaza on the Oakland side (westbound traffic only since 1969) has eighteen toll lanes, with all charges now made either through the FasTrak electronic toll collection system or through invoices mailed through the USPS, based on the license plate of the car per Department of Motor Vehicle records. Metering signals are about 1,000 feet (300 m) west of the toll plaza. Two full-time bus-only lanes bypass the toll booths and metering lights around the right (north) side of the toll plaza; other high occupancy vehicles can use these lanes during weekday morning and afternoon commute periods. The two far-left toll lanes are high-occupancy vehicle lanes during weekday commute periods. Radio and television traffic reports will often refer to congestion at the toll plaza, metering lights, or a parking lot in the median of the road for bridge employees; the parking lot is about 1,900 feet (580 m) long, stretching from about 800 feet (240 m) east of the toll plaza to about 100 feet (30 m) west of the metering lights.[16]

During the morning commute hours, traffic congestion on the westbound approach from Oakland stretches back through the MacArthur Maze interchange at the east end of the bridge onto the three feeder highways, Interstate 580, Interstate 880, and I-80 toward Richmond.[17] Since the number of lanes on the eastbound approach from San Francisco is structurally restricted, eastbound backups are also frequent during evening commute hours. The eastbound bottleneck is not the bridge itself, but the approach, which has just three lanes in each direction, in contrast to the bridge's five.

The western section of the Bay Bridge is currently restricted to motorized freeway traffic. Pedestrians, bicycles, and other non-freeway vehicles are not allowed to cross this section. A project to add bicycle/pedestrian lanes to the western section has been proposed but is not finalized. A Caltrans bicycle shuttle operates between Oakland and San Francisco during peak commute hours for $1.00 each way.[18]

Freeway ramps next to the tunnel provide access to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island. Because the toll plaza is on the Oakland side, the western span is a de facto non-tolled bridge; traffic between the island and the main part of San Francisco can freely cross back and forth. Those who only travel from Oakland to Yerba Buena Island, and not the entire length to the main part of San Francisco, still must pay the full toll.

## Early history

[edit]

Developed at the entrance to the bay, San Francisco was well placed to prosper during the California Gold Rush. Almost all goods not produced locally arrived by ship, as did numerous travelers and erstwhile miners. But after the first transcontinental railroad was completed in May 1869, San Francisco was on the wrong side of the Bay, and separated from the new rail link.

Many San Franciscans feared that the city would lose its position as the regional center of trade. Businessmen had considered the concept of a bridge spanning the San Francisco Bay since the Gold Rush days. During the 1870s, several newspaper articles explored the idea. In early 1872, a "Bay Bridge Committee" was hard at work on plans to construct a railroad bridge. The April 1872 issue of the San Francisco Real Estate Circular reported on this committee:

> The Bay Bridge Committee lately submitted its report to the Board of Supervisors, in which compromise with the Central Pacific was recommended; also the bridging of the bay at Ravenswood and the granting of railroad facilities at Mission Bay and on the water front. Wm. C. Ralston, ex-Mayor Selby and James Otis were on this committee. A daily newspaper attempts to account for the advice of these gentlemen to the city by hinting that they were afraid of the railroad company, and therefore made their recommendations to suit its interests.[19]

The self-proclaimed Emperor Norton decreed three times in 1872 that a suspension bridge be constructed to connect Oakland with San Francisco. In the third of these decrees, in September 1872, Norton, frustrated that nothing had happened, proclaimed:

> WHEREAS, we issued our decree ordering the citizens of San Francisco and Oakland to appropriate funds for the survey of a suspension bridge from Oakland Point via Goat Island; also for a tunnel; and to ascertain which is the best project; and whereas the said citizens have hitherto neglected to notice our said decree; and whereas we are determined our authority shall be fully respected; now, therefore, we do hereby command the arrest by the army of both the Boards of City Fathers if they persist in neglecting our decrees. Given under our royal hand and seal at San Francisco, this 17th day of September, 1872.[20]

Sketch of the proposed "Rush San Francisco Trans-Bay Suspension Bridge" (1913)[21]

Unlike most of Emperor Norton's eccentric ideas, his decree to build a bridge had a widespread public and political appeal. Yet the task was too much of an engineering and economic challenge, since the bay was too wide and too deep there. In 1921, more than forty years after Norton's death, an underground tube was considered, but it became clear that one would be inadequate for vehicular traffic.[22] Support for a trans-bay crossing increased in the 1920s based on the popularity and availability of automobiles.

### Planning

[edit]

Preliminary layout studies for the bridge, with Figures "H", and "P" selected as the final construction choice for western and eastern sections

The California State Legislature and governor enacted a law, effective in 1929, to establish the California Toll Bridge Authority (Stats. 1929, Chap 763) and to authorize it and the State Department of Public Works to build a bridge connecting San Francisco and Alameda County (Stats. 1929, Chap 762).[23][24]

The state appointed a commission to evaluate the idea and various designs for a bridge across the Bay, the Hoover-Young Commission. Its conclusions were made public in 1930.[25]

In January 1931, Charles H. Purcell, the State Highway Engineer of California, who had also served as the secretary of the Hoover-Young Commission, assumed the position of Chief Engineer for the Bay Bridge. Glenn B. Woodruff served as design engineer for the project. He explained in a 1936 article that several elements of the bridge required not only new designs, but also new theories of design.[26]

To make the bridge feasible, a route was chosen via Yerba Buena Island, which would reduce both the material and the labor needed. Since Yerba Buena Island was a U.S. Navy base at the time, the state had to gain approval from Congress for this purpose as it regulates and controls all federal lands and the armed services. After a great deal of lobbying, California received Congressional approval to use the island on February 20, 1931, subject to final approvals by the Departments of War, Navy, and Commerce.[27] The state applied for permits from the 3 federal departments as required. The permits were granted in January 1932, and formally presented in a ceremony on Yerba Buena Island on February 24, 1932.[28]

On May 25, 1931, Governor James Rolph Jr. signed into law two acts: one providing for the financing of state bridges by revenue bonds, and another creating the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge Division of the State Department of Public Works. On September 15, 1931, this new division opened its offices at 500 Sansome Street in San Francisco.[29]

During 1931, numerous aerial photographs were taken of the chosen route for the bridge and its approaches.[30]

That year, engineers had not determined the final design concept for the western span between San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island, although the idea of a double-span suspension bridge was already favored.[31]

In April 1932, the preliminary final plan and design of the bridge was presented by Chief Engineer Charles Purcell to Col. Walter E. Garrison, Director of the State Department of Public Works, and to Ralph Modjeski, head of the Board of Engineering Consultants. Both agencies approved and preparation of the final design proceeded.[32][33] In 1932, Joseph R. Knowland, a former U.S. Congressman from California, traveled to Washington to help persuade President Herbert Hoover and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to advance $62 million to build the bridge.

### Construction

[edit]

The Bay Bridge under construction at Yerba Buena Island in 1935

Before work began, 12 massive underwater telephone cables were moved 1,000 feet (300 m) of the proposed bridge route by crews of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. during the summer of 1931.[34]

Construction began on July 9, 1933[35] after a groundbreaking ceremony attended by former president Herbert Hoover, dignitaries, and local beauty queens.[36]

The western section of the bridge between San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island presented an enormous engineering challenge. The bay was up to 100 feet (30 m) deep in places and the soil required new foundation-laying techniques.[22] A single main suspension span some 4,100 feet (1.2 km) in length was considered but rejected, as it would have required too much fill and reduced wharfage space at San Francisco, had less vertical clearance for shipping, and cost more than the design ultimately adopted.[37] The solution was to construct a massive concrete anchorage halfway between San Francisco and the island, and to build a main suspension span on each side of this central anchorage.[38]

East of Yerba Buena Island, the bay to Oakland was spanned by a 10,176-foot (3.102 km) combination of double cantilever, five long-span through-trusses, and a truss causeway, forming the longest bridge of its kind at the time.[22] The cantilever section was longest in the nation and third-longest anywhere.[39]

Much of the original eastern section was founded upon treated wood pilings. Because of the very deep mud on the bay bottom, it was not practical to reach bedrock, although the lower levels of the mud are quite firm. Long wooden pilings were crafted from entire old-growth Douglas fir trees, which were driven through the soft mud to the firmer bottom layers.[40] The construction project had casualties: twenty-four men would die while constructing the bridge.[41]

### Yerba Buena Tunnel

[edit]

Main article: Yerba Buena Tunnel

Traveling through the westbound upper level of the Yerba Buena tunnel

California Department of Transportation engineer C.H. Purcell served as chief engineer for the Bay Bridge, including the construction of the Yerba Buena Tunnel. Before starting excavation, the ground through which the western half of the tunnel would be bored was stabilized by injecting cement grout under pressure through 25 1.5-inch (38 mm) holes bored into the loose rock over the crown of the tunnel.[42]

After excavating the western and eastern open portals, three drifts were bored from west to east along the path of the tunnel: one at the crown and the other two at the lower corners.[42][43] The first drift broke through in July 1934, approximately one year after the start of construction.[44] A ceremonial party led by Governor Merriam celebrated the completion of the first 12-foot-square (3.7 m) drift on July 24 by walking through it, followed by a short speech.[45][46] The space between the three drifts was then excavated, resulting in a single arch-shaped bore (in cross-section), and the tunnel roof was constructed using 16-inch (410 mm) steel I-beam ribs spaced 3 feet (0.91 m) apart to support the rock, which were then embedded in concrete up to 3 feet (0.91 m) thick at the crown.[42][47] No cave-ins occurred during the excavation of the tunnel.[47]

After the roof was completed, the remaining core of rock between the tunnel roof and lower deck was excavated using a power shovel.[42] By May 1935, work on removing the core was progressing and 40 steel ribs had been placed; concrete embedment was just starting.[48] Removal of the core was completed on November 18, 1935.[49] Once the excavation was complete, the upper deck was placed and the interior ceiling above the upper deck was lined with tiles.[47] The last concrete poured during the construction of the Bay Bridge was part of the upper deck lining in late summer 1936.[49] This included the emplacement of regularly spaced refuge bays ("deadman holes") along the south wall of the lower deck tunnel, escape alcoves common in all railway tunnels into which track maintenance workers could duck if a train came along.[50] These remain and are visible to eastbound motorists today.

The completed tunnel bore is 76 feet (23 m) wide and 58 feet (18 m) high overall, and the dimensions of the tunnel interior are 66 feet (20 m) wide and 53 feet (16 m) high.[51] In 1936, it was hailed as the world's largest-bore tunnel.[52][53][54] The cross-sectional area of the upper half is 1,500 square feet (140 m2), and the lower half is 1,000 square feet (93 m2).[55]

Reminders of the long-gone bridge railway survive along the south side of the lower Yerba Buena Tunnel. These are the regularly spaced refuge bays ("deadman holes"), escape alcoves common in all railway tunnels, along the wall, into which track maintenance workers could safely retreat if a train came along. (The north side, which always carried only motor traffic, lacks these holes.)[56][57]

The tunnel is 76 feet (23 m) wide, 58 feet (18 m) high, and 540 feet (160 m) long.[15] It is the largest diameter transportation bore tunnel in the world.[22] The large amount of material that was excavated in boring the tunnel was used for a portion of the landfill over the shoals lying adjacent to Yerba Buena Island to its north, a project which created the artificial Treasure Island. The contract to build the Yerba Buena Cable Anchorage, Tunnel & Viaduct segment was opened for bids on March 28, 1933, and awarded to the low bidder, Clinton Construction Company of California, for $1,821,129.50 (equivalent to $34 million in 2023[58]).[42][59] Yerba Buena Island was the main site of the official groundbreaking for the Bay Bridge on July 9, 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt remotely set off a dynamite blast on the eastern side of the island at 12:58 p.m. local time.[60][43] Former President Herbert Hoover and Governor James Rolph were onsite; the two men were the first to turn over the earth with ceremonial golden spades.[61] Other ceremonies took place simultaneously in San Francisco (on Rincon Hill) and Oakland Harbor.[60][62]

The Yerba Buena Tunnel opened, along with the rest of the Bay Bridge, on November 12, 1936. As of 2019,[update] the tunnel lacks an official name.[63]

## Opening day

[edit]

The bridge opened on November 12, 1936, at 12:30 p.m. In attendance was former U.S. president Herbert Hoover, Senator William G. McAdoo, and the Governor of California, Frank Merriam. Governor Merriam opened the bridge by cutting gold chains across it with an acetylene cutting torch.[64] The San Francisco Chronicle report of November 13, 1936, read:

The illuminated western span as seen from the Embarcadero in San Francisco Schematic drawing of the Bay Bridge

> the greatest traffic jam in the history of S.F., a dozen old-fashioned New Year's eves thrown into one – the biggest and most good-natured crowd of tens of thousands ever to try and walk the streets and guide their autos on them – This was the city last night, the night of the bridge opening with every auto owner in the bay region, seemingly, trying to crowd his machine onto the great bridge.

> And those who tried to view the brilliantly lighted structure from the hilltops and also view the fireworks display were numbered also in the thousands.

> Every intersection in the city, particularly those near the San Francisco entrance to the bridge, was jammed with a slowly moving auto caravan.

> Every available policeman in the department was called to duty to aid in regulating the city's greatest parade of autos.

> One of the greatest traffic congestions of the evening was at Fifth and Mission Streets, with downtown traffic and bridge-bound traffic snarled in an almost hopeless mass. To add to the confusion, traffic signals jammed and did not synchronize.

> Police reported that there was no lessening of the traffic over the bridge, all lanes being crowded with Oakland- or San-Francisco-bound machines far into the night.

The total cost was US$77 million (equivalent to $1.74 billion in 2024).[22] Before opening the bridge was blessed by Cardinal Secretary of State Eugene Cardinal Pacelli, later Pope Pius XII.[65] Because it was in effect two bridges strung together, the western spans were ranked the second and third largest suspension bridges. Only the George Washington Bridge had a longer span between towers.

As part of the celebration a United States commemorative coin was produced by the San Francisco Mint. A half dollar, the obverse portrays California's symbol, the grizzly bear, while the reverse presents a picture of the bridge spanning the bay. A total of 71,369 coins were sold, some from the bridge's tollbooths.[66]

## Post-opening history

[edit]

### 1930s–1960s

[edit]

#### The Bridge Railway

[edit]

Public Works Director Frank W. Clark (left), Lieutenant Governor Ellis E. Patterson (center), and State Highway Engineer Charles H. Purcell take the first train over the Bay Bridge, January 14, 1939

Construction of the Bridge Railway began on November 29, 1937, with the laying of the first ties.[67] The first train was run across the Bay Bridge on September 23, 1938, a test run utilizing a Key System train consisting of two articulated units with California Governor Frank Merriam at the controls.[68] On January 14, 1939, the San Francisco Transbay Terminal was dedicated. The following morning, January 15, 1939, the electric interurban trains started in revenue service, running along the south side of the lower deck of the bridge. The terminal originally was supposed to open at the same time as the Bay Bridge, but had been delayed.

A Key System interurban crossing the bridge

Trains over the Bridge Railway were operated by the Sacramento Northern Railroad (Western Pacific), the Interurban Electric Railway (Southern Pacific) and the Key System.[69] Freight trains never used the bridge. The tracks left the lower deck in San Francisco just southwest of the end of 1st St. They then went along an elevated viaduct above city streets, looping around and into the terminal on its east end. Departing trains exited on the loop back onto the bridge.[70] The loop continued to be used by buses until the terminal's closure in 2010. The tracks left the lower deck in Oakland. The Interurban Electric Railway tracks ran along Engineer Road and over the Southern Pacific yard on trestles (some of it is still standing and visible from nearby roadways) onto the streets and dedicated right-of-ways in Berkeley, Albany, Oakland and Alameda. The Sacramento Northern and Key System tracks went under the SP tracks through a tunnel (which still exists and is in use as an access to the EBMUD treatment plant) and onto 40th St. Due to falling ridership, Sacramento Northern and IER service ended in 1941.[71]

Disused passengers facilities on Yerba Buena Island for riders traveling eastbound

On September 13, 1942, a stop was opened at Yerba Buena Island to serve expanded wartime needs on adjacent Treasure Island.[72]

Despite the vital role the railroad played, the last train went over the bridge in April 1958. The tracks were removed and replaced with pavement on the Transbay Terminal ramps and Bay Bridge. The Key System handled buses over the bridge until 1960 when its successor, AC Transit, took over operations. It still handles service today, running to a new transbay terminal located in the same vicinity in San Francisco, the Salesforce Transit Center.

#### Emperor Norton plaque and relocation

[edit]

In 1872, the San Francisco entrepreneur and eccentric Emperor Norton issued three proclamations calling for the design and construction of a suspension bridge between San Francisco and Oakland via Yerba Buena Island (formerly Goat Island).[73] A 1939 plaque honoring Emperor Norton for the original idea for the Bay Bridge was dedicated by the fraternal society E Clampus Vitus and was installed at The Cliff House in February 1955. In November 1986, in connection with the bridge's 50th anniversary, the plaque was moved to the Transbay Terminal, the public transit and Greyhound bus depot at the west end of the bridge in downtown San Francisco. When the terminal was closed in 2010, the plaque was placed in storage.[74]

### 1960s–2010s

[edit]

#### Roadway retrofit

[edit]

Until the 1960s, the upper deck (58 feet (18 m) wide between curbs) carried three lanes of traffic in each direction and was restricted to automobiles only.[22] The lower deck carried three lanes of truck and bus traffic, with autos allowed, on the north side of the bridge.[22] In the 1950s traffic lights were added to set the direction of travel in the middle lane, but there still remained no divider. Two interurban railroad tracks on the south half of the lower deck carried the electric commuter trains.[75] In 1958 the tracks were replaced with pavement, but the reconfiguration to what the traffic eventually became did not take place until 1963.

The Federal highway on the bridge was originally a concurrency of U.S. Highway 40 and U.S. Highway 50. The bridge was re-designated as Interstate 80 in 1964, and the western ends of U.S. 40 and U.S. 50 are now in Silver Summit, Utah, and West Sacramento, California, respectively.

A double balanced cantilever bridge, five truss bridges, and two truss causeways that connected Yerba Buena Island to Oakland. It was replaced by the current SAS span and was dismantled in 2016.

#### Reconstruction of approaches

[edit]

The original western approach to (and exit from) the upper deck of the bridge was a long ramp to Fifth Street, branching to Harrison St for westward traffic off the bridge and Bryant St for eastward traffic entering. There was also an on-ramp to the upper deck on Rincon Hill from Fremont Street (which later became an off-ramp) and an off-ramp to First Street (later extended over First St to Fremont St). The lower deck ended at Essex and Harrison St; just southwest of there, the tracks of the bridge railway left the lower deck and curved northward into the elevated loop through the Transbay Terminal that was paved for buses after rail service ended.[76]

The eastern approach to the bridge included a causeway landing for the "incline" section, and the construction of three feeder highways, interlinked by an extensive interchange,[77] which in later years became known as "The MacArthur Maze". A massive landfill was emplaced, extending along the north edge of the existing Key System rail mole to the existing bayshore, and continuing northward along the shore to the foot of Ashby Avenue in Berkeley.[78] The fill was continued northward to the foot of University Avenue as a causeway which enclosed an artificial lagoon, subsequently developed by the WPA as "Aquatic Park". The three feeder highways were U.S. Highway 40 (Eastshore Highway) which led north through Berkeley, U.S. Highway 50 (38th Street, later MacArthur Blvd.) which led through Oakland, and State Route 17 which ran parallel to U.S. 50, along the Oakland Estuary and through the industrial and port sections of the city.

The current approaches were constructed in the 1960s, as the original ones were not up to interstate highway standards and were designed mainly for local use.

#### Yerba Buena Tunnel Reconstruction

[edit]

As originally completed, the upper deck was reserved for automobile traffic, and carried six lanes, each 9 feet 8 inches (2.95 m) wide.[55] The lower deck was further divided into three lanes of traffic for heavy trucks (each 10 feet 4 inches [3.15 m] wide), and the two railroad tracks on the south side (27 feet [8.2 m] wide for both tracks).[51][55] The initial design in 1932 called for the two rail tracks to flank a central truck deck on the lower level.[79] After Key System trains stopped running over the bridge in 1958, bids were opened on October 11, 1960, to rebuild the tunnel. The rebuild consisted of multiple stages of work:[55][80]

1. Remove Key System rails, lower rail deck and repave
2. Lower the truck traffic half of the lower deck by 3 feet (0.91 m) and repave
3. Remove center columns supporting upper deck
4. Lower the upper deck by 16 inches (410 mm) by placing precast concrete units

After the reconstruction, the tunnel would handle only road traffic. The upper deck was lowered to accommodate heavy truck traffic, as each deck would now carry five lanes of unidirectional traffic. The upper deck was dedicated to westbound traffic, and the lower deck was dedicated to eastbound traffic.[80] The impact to traffic during reconstruction of the tunnel was minimized mainly by working outside normal commuting hours and through the use of a portable steel bridge 26 feet (7.9 m) long and 58 feet (18 m) wide, designed to fit between the curbs of the existing upper deck.[55] The bridge spanned the gap between the new upper deck and old upper deck, and the overall elevation change of 26 inches (660 mm) caused drivers to slow to 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), resulting in traffic jams.[81][82] The first accident caused by "The Hump", the nickname the bridge acquired after prominent warning signs advertising its presence, occurred just twelve minutes after it was first deployed on November 25, 1961.[83]

The new precast upper deck units were each 7 feet 8 inches (2.34 m) long, and were installed in two halves. One side of each half rested on a temporary falsework erected in the middle of the lower deck, and the other side rested on the shoulder of the tunnel wall previously used to support the old upper deck. After the two halves were fastened together, a steel form was used to close the 1-foot-6-inch-wide (0.46 m) gap between halves, and concrete was poured in the gap.[55] The upper deck rests on 12-inch-wide (30 cm) shoulders built into the tunnel wall, padded by 1⁄2-inch-thick (1.3 cm) Masonite.[84]

The planned completion date for tunnel reconstruction was July 1962,[85] but "The Hump" was not dismantled until October 27, 1962. The San Francisco Chronicle marked the occasion by quipping "[The Hump] produced more jams than Grandma ever made."[83] After reconstruction, both the upper and lower decks featured 16 feet (4.9 m) of vertical clearance. Upper deck clearance is restricted by the tunnel portal, and lower deck clearance is restricted by the upper deck.

#### Rail removal

[edit]

Daytime view of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco seen from Yerba Buena Island in 2011 A view of the Bay Bridge from the Bank of America building in 2012

Automobile traffic increased dramatically in the ensuing decades of the bridge's opening. This, among other things, resulted in the Key Systems decline, and by the 1960s having rails on the bridge had become obsolete and a detriment to traffic, as they carried nothing on them. Work began on removing the tracks in October 1963. After the work was completed, the Bay Bridge was reconfigured with five lanes of westbound traffic on the upper deck and five lanes of eastbound traffic on the lower deck. The Key System originally planned to end train operations in 1948 when it replaced its streetcars with buses, but Caltrans did not approve of this. Trucks had their ban lifted and were allowed on the top deck for the first time.[22] Due to this, the upper deck was retrofitted to handle the increased loads, with understringers added and prestressing added to the bottom of the floor beams. This retrofit is still in place today, and is visible to Eastbound traffic on the western span.

In current times, there have been attempts to restore rail service to the bridge, but none were successful. A study released in 2000 estimated the cost of restoring rail service across the bridge at up to $8 billion ($14.6 billion in 2024).[86]

#### 1968 aircraft accident

[edit]

On February 11, 1968, a U.S. Navy training aircraft crashed into the cantilever span of the bridge, killing both reserve officers aboard. The T2V SeaStar, based at NAS Los Alamitos in southern California, was on a routine weekend mission and had just taken off in the fog from nearby NAS Alameda. The plane struck the bridge about 15 feet (5 m) above the upper deck roadway and then sank in the bay north of the bridge.[87] There were no injuries among the motorists on the bridge.[88] One of the truss sections of the bridges was replaced due to damage from the impact.[89]

#### 1986 Cable lighting

[edit]

The series of lights adorning the westbound spans suspension cables were added in 1986 as part of the bridge's 50th-anniversary celebration.[90]

#### James B. Rolpf Jr. designation

[edit]

The bridge was unofficially "dedicated" to James B. "Sunny Jim" Rolph, Jr.,[91] but this was not widely recognized until the bridge's 50th-anniversary celebrations in 1986. The official name of the bridge for all functional purposes has always been the "San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge", and, by most local people, it is referred to simply as "the Bay Bridge". Rolph, a Mayor of San Francisco from 1912 to 1931, was the Governor of California at the time construction of the bridge began. He died in office on June 2, 1934, two years before the bridge opened, leaving the bridge to be named for him out of respect.[22]

A view of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge western span from the waterfront in San Francisco

#### 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and emergency repairs

[edit]

A collapsed section of roadway deck after the 1989 earthquake

On the evening of October 17, 1989, during the Loma Prieta earthquake, which measured a 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale,[92] a 50-foot (15 m) section of the upper deck of the eastern truss portion of the bridge at Pier E9 collapsed onto the deck below, indirectly causing one death. The bridge was closed for just over a month as construction crews repaired the section. That same year, the bridge reopened to traffic on November 18.

#### 2001 terrorism threat

[edit]

On November 2, 2001, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Governor Gray Davis announced a threat of a rush hour attack against a West Coast suspension bridge (a group which includes the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge) some time between November 2 and 7, resulting in an increase of openly armed law enforcement patrols.[93][94]

A small fraction of drivers shifted to ferries and BART.[95] It was later revealed that crews had secretly been working under armed guard for several weeks to harden the suspension cable attachment points, which were vulnerable to cutting with common weapons and tools. An anchor room was filled with concrete, doors welded shut, and a razor wire fence added. A blast wall was also added to defend against a potential truck bomb.[95][96] In the end, no attack occurred.

#### Emperor Norton naming campaign

[edit]

In November 2004, after a campaign by San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Phil Frank, then-San Francisco District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced a resolution to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors calling for the entire two-bridge system, from San Francisco to Oakland, to be named for Emperor Norton.[97]

On December 14, 2004, the Board approved a modified version of this resolution, calling for only "new additions"—i.e., the new eastern crossing—to be named "The Emperor Norton Bridge".[20] Neither the City of Oakland nor Alameda County passed any similar resolution, so the effort went no further.

#### Western span retrofit

[edit]

Obsolete hot riveted laced ties (left, original eastern span) and bolted box beam retrofit (right, western span)

The western section has undergone extensive seismic retrofitting. During the retrofit, much of the structural steel supporting the bridge deck was replaced while the bridge remained open to traffic. Engineers accomplished this by using methods similar to those employed on the Chicago Skyway.[98]

The entire bridge was fabricated using hot steel rivets, which are impossible to heat treat and so remain relatively soft. Analysis showed that these could fail by shearing under extreme stress. Therefore, at most locations, rivets were replaced with high-strength bolts.[99] Most bolts had domed heads placed facing traffic so they looked similar to the rivets that were removed.[100][verification needed]. This work had to be performed with great care as the steel of the structure had for many years been painted with lead paint, which had to be carefully removed and contained by workers with extensive protective gear so that they would not suffocate.[101]

Most of the beams were originally constructed of two plate Ɪ-beams joined with lattices of flat strip or angle stock, depending upon structural requirements. These have all been reconstructed by replacing the riveted lattice elements with bolted steel plate and so converting the lattice beams into box beams. This replacement included adding face plates to the large diagonal beams joining the faces of the main towers, which now have an improved appearance when viewed from certain angles.

Diagonal box beams have been added to each bay of the upper and lower decks of the western spans. These add stiffness to reduce side-to-side motion during an earthquake and reduce the probability of damage to the decking surfaces.

Analysis showed that some massive concrete supports could burst and crumble under likely stresses. In particular the western supports were extensively modified. First, the location of existing reinforcing bar is determined using magnetic techniques. In areas between bars holes are drilled. Into these holes is inserted and glued an L-shaped bar that protrudes 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in).[citation needed] This bar is retained in the hole with a high-strength epoxy adhesive. The entire surface of the structure is thus covered with closely spaced protrusions. A network of horizontal and vertical reinforcing bars is then attached to these protrusions. Mold surface plates are then positioned to retain high-strength concrete, which is then pumped into the void. After removal of the formwork the surface appears similar to the original concrete. This technique has been applied elsewhere throughout California to improve freeway overpass abutments and some overpass central supports that have unconventional shapes. (Other techniques such as jacket and grout are applied to simple vertical posts; see the seismic retrofit article.)

The western approaches have also been retrofitted in part, but mostly these have been replaced with new construction of reinforced concrete.

#### 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill

[edit]

In 2007, a container ship then named the Cosco Busan, and subsequently renamed the Hanjin Venezia, collided with the Delta Tower fender, resulting in the Cosco Busan oil spill.[102][103][104][105]

#### October 2009 eyebar crack, repair failure and bridge closure

[edit]

During the 2009 Labor Day weekend[106] closure for a portion of the replacement, a major crack was found in an eyebar, significant enough to warrant bridge closure.[107] Working in parallel with the retrofit, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and its contractors and subcontractors, were able to design, engineer, fabricate, and install the pieces required to repair the bridge, delaying its planned opening by only 1+1⁄2 hours. The repair was not inspected by the Federal Highway Administration, which relied on state inspection reports to ensure safety guidelines were met.[108]

On October 27, 2009, during the evening commute, the steel crossbeam and two steel tie rods repaired over Labor Day weekend[109] snapped off the Bay Bridge's eastern section and fell to the upper deck.[110][111][112] This may have been due to metal-on-metal vibration from bridge traffic and wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour (90 km/h), which resulted in one of the rods breaking off and caused one of the metal sections to come crashing down.[113] Three vehicles were either struck by or hit the fallen debris, though there were no injuries.[114][115][116][117] On November 1, Caltrans announced that the bridge would probably stay closed at least through the morning commute of Monday, November 2 after repairs performed during the weekend failed a stress test on Sunday.[118] BART and the Golden Gate Ferry systems added supplemental service to accommodate the increased passenger load during the bridge closure.[119] The bridge reopened to traffic on November 2, 2009.

The pieces that broke off on October 27 were a saddle, crossbars, and two tension rods.[114][120]

### 2010s–present

[edit]

#### Willie L. Brown, Jr., Bridge naming resolution

[edit]

In June 2013, nine state assemblymen, joined by two state senators, introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 65 (ACR 65) to name the western crossing of the bridge for former California Assembly Speaker and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.[121] Six weeks later, a grassroots petition was launched seeking to name the entire two-bridge system for Emperor Norton.[122] In September 2013, the petition's author launched a nonprofit, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign — now known as The Emperor Norton Trust — that advocates for adding "Emperor Norton Bridge" as an honorary name (rather than "renaming" the bridge) and that undertakes other efforts to advance Norton's legacy.[123] The state legislative resolution naming the western section of the Bay Bridge the "Willie L. Brown, Jr., Bridge" passed the Assembly in August 2013 and the Senate in September 2013.[124] A ceremony was held on February 11, 2014, marking the resolution and the installation of signs on either end of the section.[125]

#### Eastern span replacement

[edit]

Main article: Eastern span replacement of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge

For various reasons, the eastern section would have been too expensive to retrofit compared to replacing it, so the decision was made to replace it.

The replacement section underwent a series of design changes, both progressive and regressive, with increasing cost estimates and contractor bids. The final design included a single-towered self-anchored suspension span starting at Yerba Buena island, leading to a long inclined viaduct to the Oakland touchdown.[126]

Separated and protected bicycle lanes are a visually prominent feature on the south side of the new eastern section. The bikeway and pedestrian path across the eastern span opened in October 2016 and carries recreational and commuter cyclists between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island.[127] The original eastern cantilever span had firefighting dry standpipes installed. No firefighting dry or wet standpipes were designed for the eastern section replacement, although, the firefighting wet standpipes do exist on the original western section visible on both the north-side upper and lower decks.[citation needed]

The original eastern section closed permanently to traffic on August 28, 2013, and the replacement span opened for traffic five days later.[128] The original eastern section was dismantled between January 2014 and November 2017.[129][130]

* Eastern span: original and replacement
* Some new construction (2004)

* Substantial progress (2011)

* The completed replacement and the old bridge (2013)

* Rest of old and new bridge (June 2015)

* Artist's simulation of final appearance after old span demolition

The eastern span in 2017

#### 2013 public "light sculpture" installation

[edit]

A view of Bay Bridge lights from a pier next to the Ferry Building in San Francisco (2014)

On March 5, 2013, a public art installation called "The Bay Lights" was activated on the western span's vertical cables. The installation was designed by artist Leo Villareal and consists of 25,000 LED lights originally scheduled to be on nightly display until March 2015.[131] However, on December 17, 2014, the non-profit Illuminate The Arts announced that it had raised the $4 million needed to make the lights permanent; the display was temporarily turned off starting in March 2015 in order to perform maintenance and install sturdier bulbs and then re-lit on January 30, 2016.[132][133]

In order to reduce driver distractions, the privately funded display is not visible to users of the bridge, only to distant observers. This lighting effort is intended to form part of a larger project to "light the bay".[134] Villareal used various algorithms to generate patterns such as rainfall, reflections on water, bird flight, expanding rings, and others. Villareal's patterns and transitions will be sequenced and their duration determined by computerized random number generator to make each viewing experience unique.[135] Owing to the efficiency of the LED system employed, the estimated operating cost is only US$15.00 per night.

The lights were switched off permanently at 8 pm on March 5, 2023 – the 10th anniversary of the artwork. This was done due to their poor condition and increasing costs to maintain properly. There is a plan to raise additional funds and install a new set of lights later in the year.[136]

#### Alexander Zuckermann Bike Path

[edit]

The pedestrian and bicycle route on the eastern section opened on September 3, 2013, and is named after Alexander Zuckermann, founding chair of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition.[137] This forms a transbay route for the San Francisco Bay Trail. Until October 2016, the path did not connect to Yerba Buena and Treasure Island sidewalks, due to the need to demolish more of the old eastern section before final construction.[138] On May 2, 2017, public access was extended to seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.,[139] with occasional closure days for continued demolition of the old bridge foundations.[140] This work was completed on November 11, 2017.[141]

#### Yerba Buena Tunnel closure and repair

[edit]

On January 30, 2016, a chunk of concrete the size of an automobile tire fell from the tunnel wall into the slow lane of eastbound traffic on the lower deck of the Yerba Buena Tunnel, causing a minor accident. The concrete fell from where the upper deck is connected to the tunnel wall. Based on an examination of photographs, a professor from Georgia Tech postulated that water infiltration into the concrete wall had caused the reinforcing steel to corrode and expand, forcing a chunk of the tunnel wall out.[142] A subsequent California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) investigation identified 12 spots on both sides of the tunnel wall in the lower deck space showed signs of corrosion-induced damage, but no immediate risk of further spalling. The apparent cause was rainwater leaking from upper deck drains. Caltrans engineers speculated the Masonite pads had swelled due to rainwater infiltration, cracking the tunnel walls and allowing moisture in to the reinforcing steel.[84] Repairs to the degraded concrete started in February 2017. Drains and catch basins were replaced to reduce the likelihood of clogging, and fiberglass-reinforced mortar was used to patch removed concrete. The repairs, which required some daytime lane closures, were expected to last until June 2017.[143]

#### 2020 bus lane proposal

[edit]

In January 2020, the AC Transit and BART boards of directors supported the establishment of dedicated bus lanes on the bridge.[144][145] In February 2020, Rob Bonta introduced state legislation to begin planning bus lanes on the bridge.[146]

#### Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline

[edit]

On October 21, 2020, Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline park opened to the public. Located at the foot of the bridge, the opening of the park has led to easier access to the Alexander Zuckermann Bike Path due to improved parking and pedestrian access.[147]

#### 2016–2023 exit reconstructions

[edit]

In the 1960s directional reconfiguration, there were three off-ramps added to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island: a single left-hand side exit in the western direction at the east end of the tunnel, a left-hand side exit in the eastern direction at the west end of the tunnel (originally signed as just "Treasure Island"), and a right-hand side exit in eastern direction at the east end of the tunnel (originally signed as just "Yerba Buena Island").[148][149] The eastbound left exit in particular presented an unusual hazard – drivers had to slow within the normal traffic flow and move into a very short off-ramp that ended in a short radius turn left turn; accordingly, a 15 MPH advisory was posted there. The turn had been further narrowed from its original design by the installation of crash pads on the island side. The eastbound and westbound on-ramps were then on the usual right-hand side, but they did not have dedicated merge lanes, forcing drivers to await gaps in traffic and then accelerate from a stop sign to traffic speeds in a short distance. In 2016, a new on-ramp and off-ramp at the east end of the tunnel were opened in the western direction on the right-hand side of the roadway, replacing the left-hand side off-ramp in that direction.[150] Meanwhile, the eastbound right-hand side off-ramp and on-ramp at the east end of the tunnel was demolished during the reconstruction of the eastern span of the bridge. A new on-ramp on this side was built with a dedicated merge lane, but the off-ramp's replacement was not completed until early-May 2023, well after the bridge's bike path from the Oakland side to the island was fully completed. The eastbound left-hand side off-ramp and westbound on-ramp at the west end of the tunnel are then scheduled then close as early as late-May 2023 while the western span undergoes a seismic retrofit.[148][149]

## Financing and tolls

[edit]

### Current toll rates

[edit]

Bay Bridge by night in 1998.

Tolls are only collected from westbound traffic at the toll plaza on the Oakland side of the bridge. Those just traveling between Yerba Buena Island and the main part of San Francisco are not tolled. All-electronic tolling has been in effect since 2020, and drivers may either pay using the FasTrak electronic toll collection device or using the license plate tolling program. It remains not truly an open road tolling system until the remaining unused toll booths are removed, forcing drivers to slow substantially from freeway speeds while passing through. Effective January 1 – December 31, 2025 (2025-01-01 – 2025-12-31), the toll rate for passenger cars is $8. During peak traffic hours on weekdays between 5:00 am and 10:00 am, and between 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm, carpool vehicles carrying three or more people, clean air vehicles, or motorcycles may pay a discounted toll of $4 if they have FasTrak and use the designated carpool lane. Drivers without Fastrak or a license plate account must open and pay via a "short term" account within 48 hours after crossing the bridge or they will be sent an invoice of the unpaid toll. No additional toll violation penalty will be assessed if the invoice is paid within 21 days.[151][152][153]

### Historical toll rates

[edit]

When the Bay Bridge opened in 1936, the toll was 65 cents (equivalent to $14.73 in 2024),[90] collected in each direction by men in booths fronting each lane of traffic. Within months, the toll was lowered to 50 cents in order to compete with the ferry system, and finally to 25 cents since this was shown sufficient to pay off the original revenue bonds on schedule (equivalent to $10.94 and $5.47 in 2024 respectively).[citation needed] In 1951 there were eighty collectors working various shifts.[154]

On Monday, September 1, 1969, (Labor Day) a change of policy resulted in the toll being collected thereafter only from westbound traffic, at twice the previous rate; eastbound vehicles were toll-exempt.[155]

Tolls were subsequently raised to finance improvements to the bridge approaches, required to connect with new freeways, and to subsidize public transit in order to reduce the traffic over the bridge. The toll was increased by a quarter dollar to 75 cents in 1978 (equivalent to $3.62 in 2024), where it remained for a decade.[156]

Caltrans, the state highway transportation agency, maintains seven of the eight San Francisco Bay Area bridges. (The Golden Gate Bridge is owned and maintained by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.)[157]

The basic toll (for automobiles) on the seven state-owned bridges, including the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, was standardized to $1 by Regional Measure 1, approved by Bay Area voters in 1988 (equivalent to $2.66 in 2024).[158] A $1 seismic retrofit surcharge was added in 1998 by the state legislature, increasing the toll to $2 (equivalent to $3.86 in 2024), originally for eight years, but since then extended to December 2037 (AB1171, October 2001).[159] On March 2, 2004, voters approved Regional Measure 2 to fund various transportation improvement projects, raising the toll by another dollar to $3 (equivalent to $4.99 in 2024). An additional dollar was added to the toll starting January 1, 2007, to cover cost overruns on the eastern span replacement of the Bay Bridge, increasing the toll to $4 (equivalent to $6.07 in 2024).[160]

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), a regional transportation agency, in its capacity as the Bay Area Toll Authority, administers RM1 and RM2 funds, a significant portion of which are allocated to public transit capital improvements and operating subsidies in the transportation corridors served by the bridges. Caltrans administers the "second dollar" seismic surcharge, and receives some of the MTC-administered funds to perform other maintenance work on the bridges. The state legislature created the Bay Area Toll Authority in 1997 to transfer the toll administration of the seven state-owned bridges to the MTC. The Bay Area Toll Authority is made up of appointed officials put in place by various city and county governments, and is not subject to direct voter oversight.[161]

Due to further funding shortages for seismic retrofit projects, the Bay Area Toll Authority again raised tolls on all seven of the state-owned bridges (this excludes the Golden Gate Bridge) in July 2010.[162] The toll rate for autos on other Bay Area bridges was increased to $5 (equivalent to $7.21 in 2024), but in the Bay Bridge a congestion pricing tolling scheme was implemented. This variable pricing system was not truly congestion priced because toll rates came from a preset schedule and are not based on actual congestion. A $6 toll (equivalent to $8.65 in 2024) was charged from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. During weekends cars paid the standard $5 toll like the other bridges. Carpools before the implementation were exempted but began to pay $2.50 (equivalent to $3.6 in 2024), and the carpool toll discount became available only to drivers with FasTrak electronic toll devices. The toll remained at the previous toll of $4 at all other times on weekdays (now equivalent to $5.77 in 2024).[163][164] The Bay Area Toll Authority reported that by October 2010 fewer users are driving during the peak hours and more vehicles are crossing the Bay Bridge before and after the 5–10 a.m. period in which the congestion toll goes into effect. Commute delays in the first six months dropped by an average of 15% compared with 2009.[165][166] For vehicles with at least 3 axles, the toll rate was $5 per axle.[167]

In June 2018, Bay Area voters approved Regional Measure 3 to further raise the tolls on all seven of the state-owned bridges to fund $4.5 billion worth of transportation improvements in the area.[168][169] Under the passed measure, the tolls on the Bay Bridge were raised by $1 on January 1, 2019, then again on January 1, 2022, and again on January 1, 2025. Thus under the congestion pricing scheme, the tolls for autos during the peak weekday rush hours were set to $7 in 2019, $8 in 2022, and $9 in 2025; for the non-rush periods, $5 in 2019, $6 in 2022, and $7 in 2025; and on weekends, $6 in 2019, $7 in 2022, and $8 in 2025.[170] Congestion pricing was then suspended indefinitely in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the weekend toll rates in effect for all days and times.[171]

In September 2019, the MTC approved a $4 million plan to eliminate toll takers and convert all seven of the state-owned bridges to all-electronic tolling, citing that 80 percent of drivers are now using Fastrak and the change would improve traffic flow.[172] On March 20, 2020, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, all-electronic tolling was placed in effect for all seven state-owned toll bridges.[173] The MTC then installed new systems at all seven bridges to make them permanently cashless by the start of 2021.[174] In April 2022, the Bay Area Toll Authority announced plans to remove all remaining unused toll booths and create an open-road tolling system which functions at highway speeds; until then, drivers must still slow substantially while passing through the toll plaza.[175]

The Bay Area Toll Authority then approved a plan in December 2024 to implement 50-cent annual toll increases on all seven state-owned bridges between 2026 and 2030 to help pay for bridge maintenance. The standard toll rate for autos will thus rise to $8.50 on January 1, 2026; $9 in 2027; $9.50 in 2028; $10 in 2029; and then to $10.50 in 2030. And becoming effective in 2027, a 25-cent surcharge will be added to any toll charged to a license plate account, and a 50-cent surcharge added to a toll violation invoice, due to the added cost of processing these payment methods.[176][177]

Panorama showing the western span, 2007

Panorama showing the Bay Bridge with the new eastern span, 2017

## See also

[edit]

* Transport portal
* Engineering portal
* California portal
* San Francisco Bay Area portal

* 49-Mile Scenic Drive
* Bay Bridge Troll
* Cosco Busan oil spill
* Golden Gate Bridge
* List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in California
* Southern Crossing (California) \- proposed parallel bridge
* Treasure Island Development
* 25 de Abril Bridge, a bridge with a similar design in Portugal

## References

[edit]

Notes

1. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form". National Park Service – USDoI. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
2. ^ San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Archived November 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ a b "Traffic Census Program". California Department of Transportation. 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2017. "Traffic Volumes: Annual Average Daily Traffic"
4. ^ a b "San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge". Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Bay Area Toll Authority. 2014–15. Retrieved July 14, 2017. "45.5 million toll-paid vehicles (91.0 million trips) annually"
5. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
6. ^ "San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge (West)". Structurae. Nicolas Janberg. May 12, 2006. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
7. ^ "San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge (East)". Structurae. Nicolas Janberg. February 28, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
8. ^ [Bay Bridge Artery, Chris Carlson, "Found SF", orig.2013, updated]
9. ^ 2008 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California (PDF). California Department of Transportation. January 2009. p. 41\. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 23, 2013.
10. ^ "First Cars Cross SF-Oakland Bay Bridge's New Span". ABC News. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
11. ^ Jaffe, Eric (October 13, 2015). "From $250 Million to $6.5 Billion: The Bay Bridge Cost Overrun". CityLab. Archived from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
12. ^ "Old Bay Bridge Demolition". California Department of Transportation.
13. ^ "San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge". Bay Bridge Public Information Office. September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
14. ^ "Self-Anchored Suspension (SAS) Span". Caltrans. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010. "Anticipated Completion Date: late 2013"
15. ^ a b "Yerba Buena Crossing (Contract No. 04-5) – As Built Drawings" Caltrans 2006
16. ^ Richards, Gary (December 5, 2008). "From the Two Trees to the Sig Sanchez: Bay Area road nicknames explained". San Jose Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
17. ^ "Rebounding Economy Prompts Rise in Freeway Congestion" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Commission. September 14, 2005. Archived from the original on November 2, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2008.
18. ^ "Caltrans District 4 Bicycle Resources". California Department of Transportation. July 14, 2008. Archived from the original on November 22, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
19. ^ "Complimentary to Selby, Ralston and Otis". San Francisco Real Estate Circular. April 1872. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
20. ^ a b Herel, Suzanne (December 15, 2004). "Emperor Norton's name may yet span the bay". San Francisco Chronicle. pp. A–1. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2008.
21. ^ Crane, Lorin P. (April 1913). "Proposed Suspension Bridge Over San Francisco Bay". Overland Monthly. 61 (4): 375–77.
22. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge Facts at a glance". Caltrans toll bridge program. California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on November 3, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2008.
23. ^ Statutes of California, 48th Session, 1929, Chaps. 762-3, p.1489
24. ^ California Highways and Public Works, May-June, 1929, p.15
25. ^ California Highways and Public Works, December, 1930, p.8
26. ^ Woodruff, Glenn B. (November 1936). "New Problems of Design Solved by Bridge Engineers" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works (San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Dedication Number): 21 – via Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
27. ^ U.S. Statutes at Large, 71st Congress, Chap.238, pp.1192-3
28. ^ [California Highways and Public Works, February, 1932, p.22]
29. ^ California Highways and Public Works, November, 1936, p.12
30. ^ "Aerial photographs of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Approaches-1931", Fairchild Aerial Surveys Inc.
31. ^ California Highways and Public Works, June, 1931, p.5
32. ^ California Highways and Public Works, October, 1931, p.12
33. ^ California Highways and Public Works, April, 1932, p.22
34. ^ "Spectacular Job at Bottom of Sea; 10 Boals, 33 Men Remove Phone Cables", California Highways and Public Works, July, 1931, p.12-13
35. ^ "Billions for Building". Time. Vol. XXII, no. 4\. New York. July 24, 1933. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on September 16, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
36. ^ Scott, Mall (November 12, 2021). "FreightWaves Classics: San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge celebrates 85th anniversary today!". FreightWaves. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
37. ^ Leboski, pp. 339–40
38. ^ "World's Largest Bridge rest on sunken skyscrapers" Popular Science, February 1935
39. ^ Petroski, p. 340
40. ^ Reisner, p. 113
41. ^ "Building the Bay Bridge: 1930s vs. today". August 9, 2013.
42. ^ a b c d e "Safety Method of Boring Yerba Buena Tunnel Leaves Core to be Removed" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 13, no. 9\. California Department of Public Works. September 1935. pp. 20–21. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
43. ^ a b "Huge Monolith Rises from Bay Waters to Bear Bridge Tower" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 11, no. 12\. California Department of Public Works. December 1933. pp. 14–15. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
44. ^ "Yerba Buena Tunnel Diggers Near Light". Madera Tribune. June 23, 1934. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
45. ^ "Governor Merriam Leads First Party Through Yerba Buena Pioneer Bore" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 12, no. 8\. California Department of Public Works. August 1934. pp. 16–17. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
46. ^ "Island shaft for Bay span is completed". Healdsburg Tribune. United Press. July 25, 1934. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
47. ^ a b c Andrew, Charles E. (February 1937). "Construction History of San Francisco Bay Bridge" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 15, no. 2\. California Department of Public Works. pp. 10–11, 20. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
48. ^ "Bay Bridge to Have 16 Toll Stations All Located on the Oakland Approach" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 13, no. 5\. California Department of Public Works. May 1935. pp. 12–13. Retrieved December 20, 2017. "Far inside Yerba Buena, miners have bored ribs down from a crown tunnel to two side tunnels and placed 40 I-beams in these lateral drifts. For 20 feet [6.1 m], steel lining has been placed on top of the I-beam ribs, and the space between these plates and the rock roof has been packed with broken rock. The work of concreteing this loose rock above the steel, all of which later will be encased in concrete, has just been started."
49. ^ a b Purcell, C.H. (November 1936). "Chief Engineer Purcell Tells Construction Story of the Bridge" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 14, no. 11\. California Department of Public Works. pp. 6–8. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
50. ^ "Tunnel Section and Details, Yerba Buena Crossing, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, Sup. Drawing No. 19A" (PDF). State of California, Dept. of Public Works. June 1934. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2003.
51. ^ a b "Yerba Buena Tunnel Bore Completed with Removal of all Core" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 13, no. 12\. California Department of Public Works. December 1935. pp. 26–27. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
52. ^ "Facts - Bay Area". Caltrans. Archived from the original on October 18, 1996. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
53. ^ "Ready great fetes start bridge trips". Madera Tribune. November 10, 1936. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
54. ^ "Facts about the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge". Madera Tribune. November 12, 1936. Retrieved December 20, 2017. "The Yerba Buena Island Tunnel, 65 feel wide by 52 feet high, through which a four-story building could be towed upright, is the largest diameter bore in the world."
55. ^ a b c d e f Raab, N.C. (January–February 1962). "Bay Bridge: Second Phase of Reconstruction Nearing Completion" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 41, no. 1–2\. California Department of Public Works. pp. 36–43\. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.1–2&rft.pages=36-43&rft.date=1962-01/1962-02&rft.au=Raab,+N.C.&rft_id=http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/Californiahighways/chpw_1962_janfeb.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:San+Francisco–Oakland+Bay+Bridge" class="Z3988">
56. ^ "State of California, Dept. of Public Works, Tunnel Section and Details, Yerba Buena Crossing, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, June 1934, Sup. Drawing No. 19A, PDF p.28" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2003. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
57. ^ kevinsyoza (July 3, 2010). "San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Lower Deck Eastbound Drive California". Archived from the original on November 13, 2021 – via YouTube.
58. ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
59. ^ "Savings of Over $9,000,000 Shown in San Francisco—Oakland Bridge Bids" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 11, no. 4\. California Department of Public Works. April 1933. pp. 4, 15. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
60. ^ a b "Three fetes mark start of Bay Bridge". Healdsburg Tribune, Enterprise and Scimitar. July 13, 1933. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
61. ^ Purcell, C.H. (July–August 1933). "Governor Rolph, Breaking Ground for Bay Bridge, Puts Hundreds to Work" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 11, no. 7–8\. California Department of Public Works. pp. 2–3, 12–13, 26. Retrieved December 20, 2017.7–8&rft.pages=2-3,+12-13,+26&rft.date=1933-07/1933-08&rft.aulast=Purcell&rft.aufirst=C.H.&rft_id=http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/Californiahighways/chpw_1933_julaug.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:San+Francisco–Oakland+Bay+Bridge" class="Z3988">
62. ^ "President Expected to Assist in Bay Bridge Ceremony" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 11, no. 5\. California Department of Public Works. May 1933. p. 6. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
63. ^ 2019 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California (PDF) (Report). California Department of Transportation. 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
64. ^ "Two Bay Area Bridges". U.S. Department of Transportation. January 18, 2005. Archived from the original on October 11, 2009. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
65. ^ "Caltrans Facts/Information". Caltrans. Archived from the original on April 7, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
66. ^ "Commemoratives | Classic Commemorative Silver and Gold (1936) San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Opening | Coin Value Guide". whitman.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
67. ^ California Highways and Public Works, December, 1937, p.23
68. ^ California Highways and Public Works, October, 1938, p.18-19
69. ^ Swenerton, Jeff. "When Trains Ruled the East Bay". Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
70. ^ "Building Bay Bridge Railroad", California Highways and Public Works, v.16 no.5, May, 1938, pp.8-11
71. ^ Red Trains in the East Bay, Robert Ford, Interurbans Special 65, 1977
72. ^ The Key Route, Harre Demoro, Interurbans Special 95, 1985, p.111
73. ^ The Emperor Norton Trust, "Emperor Norton's Bridge Proclamations"[permanent dead link].
74. ^ "A Plaque in 1939", The Emperor Norton Trust
75. ^ Ford, Robert S. Red Trains in the East Bay (1977) Interurbans Publications ISBN 978-0-916374-27-3 p.258
76. ^ "The old Transbay Terminal: When trains came first", San Mateo Daily Journal online edition, September 24, 2018
77. ^ California Highways and Public Works, November, 1936, p.27
78. ^ "'Great Fill and Wall for Bay Bridge Approach", California Highways and Public Works, Dec. 1933, p.13
79. ^ Purcell, C.H. (January 1932). "Transbay Bridge Tunnel Unit to be World's Largest Cross-Section Bore" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 10, no. 1\. California Department of Public Works. pp. 6–7, 17. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
80. ^ a b "Bid Opening Set for Yerba Buena Tunnel" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. Vol. 39, no. 9–10\. California Department of Public Works. September–October 1960. p. 40\. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2017.9–10&rft.pages=40&rft.date=1960-09/1960-10&rft_id=http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/Californiahighways/chpw_1960_sepoct.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:San+Francisco–Oakland+Bay+Bridge" class="Z3988">
81. ^ "Commuters Learning to Live with Bay Bridge Tunnel Hump". Madera Tribune. United Press International. November 28, 1961. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
82. ^ "Bay Bridge Hump Work On". Madera Tribune. United Press International. December 28, 1961. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
83. ^ a b Nolte, Carl (February 5, 1996). "Bridge Has Been on This Road Before / Bay span's revamp was a mess in '60s". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
84. ^ a b Van Derbeken, Jaxon (February 21, 2016). "More damage found to concrete wall in Bay Bridge tunnel". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
85. ^ "Bay Bridge Hump Is Inspected By Works Director". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Associated Press. December 27, 1961. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
86. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (June 20, 2000). "Cost of Bay Bridge Rail System Put at Up to $8 Billion in Study / Critics accuse planners of not taking transit proposal seriously". SF Gate. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
87. ^ "Jet Smashes Into Bay Span". Lodi News-Sentinel. United Press International. February 12, 1968. p. 1.
88. ^ "Bay Bridge rammed by Navy jet trainer". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. February 12, 1968. p. 2.
89. ^ "The Battle of the Bay Bridge". Check-Six.com. 2002. Archived from the original on October 19, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
90. ^ a b "East Span News". California Department of Transportation. May 2002. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
91. ^ "Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California" Archived July 1, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, California Department of Transportation, 2013, p. 43.
92. ^ "Historic Earthquakes". United States Geological Survey. January 25, 2008. Archived from the original on September 11, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
93. ^ "Security tightened at Calif. bridges after threat". CNN. November 2, 2001.
94. ^ Campbell, Duncan (November 2, 2001). "Terrorist alert at California bridges". The Guardian.
95. ^ a b Nieves, Evelyn (November 6, 2001). "A NATION CHALLENGED: THE CALIFORNIA ALERT; Bay Area's Bridge-Wary Jam Ferries and Trains". The New York Times.
96. ^ Stober, Dan (November 5, 2001). "Bay Bridge Vulnerability Was Kept Secret". The Washington Post.
97. ^ Resolution in Support of the Emperor Norton Bridge, introduced to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin, 2004. Archived December 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
98. ^ Ali Khan, Mohiuddin (August 12, 2014). Accelerated Bridge Construction: Best Practices and Techniques (1 ed.). Elsevier. p. 282\. ISBN 9780124072244. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
99. ^ Reno, Mark L.; Pohll, Martin (1998). "Seismic Retrofit of San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge West Crossing". Transportation Research Record. 1624 (1): 73–81\. doi:10.3141/1624-09. S2CID 110996417. Paper 98-0809.
100. ^ Caltrans contract 04-0435U4, 1999–2004
101. ^ "Painting the Bridge - Bridge Maintenance | Golden Gate". www.goldengate.org. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
102. ^ "Bay Bridge fender repaired ahead of schedule". December 22, 2007.
103. ^ "Case Studies of best and worst Practice - The Cosco Busan" (PDF). November 7, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 3, 2021.
104. ^ "Allision of the M/V COSCO BUSAN With the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2017.
105. ^ "Report of investigation into the allision of the Cosco Busan with the delta tower of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridge in San Francisco bay" (PDF). November 7, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2021.
106. ^ 5 September 2009 to 7 September 2009
107. ^ DiGiacomo, Janet (September 6, 2009). "Officials: Crack may keep Bay Bridge closed past Tuesday". San Francisco, California: CNN. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
108. ^ Dearen, Jason; Thanawala, Sudhin (October 28, 2009). "Bay Bridge failure stirs fear, anger over new span". San Francisco Examiner. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 1, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
109. ^ "Emergency repair and detour connection completed on Bay Bridge". Press Release. Bay Bridge Public Information Office. September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
110. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael; Van Derbeken, Jaxon; Tucker, Jill; Jones, Carolyn (October 29, 2009). "Bridge parts couldn't take the wind". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010.
111. ^ Bay Bridge Closed for Eyebar Assessment and Repair Caltrans. Retrieved October 29, 2009. Archived November 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
112. ^ photograph of bridge damage by commuter directly behind it Archived October 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
113. ^ Bay Bridge closed indefinitely . KGO-TV-7 ABC7News. October 28, 2009, 9:33 pm.
114. ^ a b Marshall, John; Leff, Lisa (October 28, 2009). "Tough commute likely after Bay Bridge rod snaps". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
115. ^ Dearin, Jason; Thanawala, Sudhin (October 28, 2009). "No estimate when Bay Bridge will open". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 30, 2009.
116. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael; Berton, Justin (October 28, 2009). "Bay Bridge closed after repair falls apart". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 25, 2010.
117. ^ "Bay Bridge will remain closed for 'a few days'". Los Angeles Times. October 28, 2009. Archived from the original on October 29, 2009.
118. ^ Jones, Carolyn (November 2, 2009). "Bay Bridge stays closed". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010.
119. ^ Cuff, Denis; Mara, Janis (October 28, 2009). "Extra ferry, BART trains planned for morning commute". Contra Costa Times. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
120. ^ KSBW Action News Sunrise (5-7am), October 28, 2009
121. ^ California Legislature, 2013–14 Regular Session, Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 65 – Relative to the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Bridge, June 12, 2013.
122. ^ Justin Slaughter, "Petition to name Bay Bridge after Emperor Norton gains 1,000 signatures", San Francisco Bay Guardian, August 13, 2013.
123. ^ EmperorNortonBridge.org Archived December 8, 2021, at the Wayback Machine — links to information and petition for The Emperor Norton Trust's proposal to add "Emperor Norton Bridge" as an honorary name for the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, leaving in place all existing names and signage for the bridge and its constituent parts.
124. ^ Official California Legislative Information, "Documents associated with ACR 65", Legislative Counsel of California.
125. ^ "Behold the Willie L. Brown Jr. Bridge". KQED News. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
126. ^ Nader, M; Maroney, B (October 2007). "One-of-a-Kind Design: The New San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Eastern Span". STRUCTURE magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2011.
127. ^ "BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATH | Bay Bridge Info". baybridgeinfo.org. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
128. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (September 13, 2013). "Bay Bridge eastern span opens". San Francisco Chronicle.
129. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (January 28, 2014). "Demolition crews start chipping away at old Bay Bridge". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
130. ^ "Demolition of Bay Bridge's old eastern span completed". Bay City News Service. November 11, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
131. ^ Wollan, Malia (March 4, 2013). "Long-Overshadowed Bay Bridge Will Go From Drab Gray to Glowing". The New York Times.
132. ^ Egelko, Bob (December 17, 2014). "Bay Bridge light show will go on". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2015. "... the nonprofit Illuminate the Arts announced Wednesday that it had raised the needed $4 million to reinstall the "Bay Lights" as a permanent fixture on the western end of the bridge."
133. ^ Cuff, Denis (January 28, 2016). "Bay Bridge light sculpture turns back on Saturday night". Contra Costa Times. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
134. ^ The Bay Lights Archived April 5, 2018, at the Wayback Machine (thebaylights.org)
135. ^ Bay Bridge light display dazzles San Francisco Includes video (following a too-long advertisement)
136. ^ Mauhay-Moore, Sam (March 6, 2023). "Light installation on San Francisco's Bay Bridge shuts off". SF Gate.
137. ^ "Bicycle Die-Hards Test Out Bay Bridge Bike Path". NBC News. September 3, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
138. ^ "No longer the Bay Bridge Trail to nowhere". SFGate. October 23, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
139. ^ "Bay Bridge bike path has new $2 million 'vista point;' will open seven days a week starting Tuesday". The Mercury News. April 29, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
140. ^ "Bicycle and Pedestrian Path". California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
141. ^ "Old Bay Bridge Demolition". California Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
142. ^ Van Derbeken, Jaxon (February 6, 2016). "New Bay Bridge corrosion probe: Concrete chunk falls in tunnel". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
143. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (March 19, 2017). "Daytime lane closures for Bay Bridge tunnel repairs". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
144. ^ "Bay Area transit agencies push for bus-only lane on Bay Bridge". KTVU. January 18, 2020.
145. ^ Swan, Rachel (January 13, 2020). "Adding a bus-only lane on the Bay Bridge: The idea seems simple. Except it's not". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
146. ^ Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez (February 21, 2020). "Lawmaker introduces legislation to kick off creation of Bay Bridge bus lane". San Francisco Examiner.
147. ^ "Oakland's new Sutter Regional Shoreline park now open". East Bay Times. October 18, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
148. ^ a b "The Bay Bridge Is Getting a New Yerba Buena Island Off-Ramp, Opening On Sunday". sfist.com. May 4, 2023. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
149. ^ a b "Will new Bay Bridge off-ramp to Yerba Buena help reduce traffic?". San Francisco Chronicle. May 4, 2023.
150. ^ "New Bay Bridge on-off ramps to Treasure Island now open". ABC 7 News San Francisco Oakland San Jose. ABC 7 News. October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
151. ^ "San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge". www.bayareafastrak.org. CalTrans. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
152. ^ "Ways to Pay". www.bayareafastrak.org. CalTrans. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
153. ^ "Invoices and Penalties". www.bayareafastrak.org. CalTrans. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
154. ^ C.H. Garrigues, "Most Polite Man," Nation's Business, February 1951, pages 72-74
155. ^ "One-Way Tolls to Start Monday on All Bridges," The Argus, Fremont, California, August 29, 1969, image 5
156. ^ "History of California's bridge tolls" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Commission. 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
157. ^ Elliott, Christopher (May 7, 1991). "Singing those Golden Gate Blues". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
158. ^ "Regional Measure 1 Toll Bridge Program". Bay Area Toll Authority. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010.
159. ^ Dutra, John (October 14, 2001). "AB 1171 Assembly Bill – Chaptered". California State Assembly. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
160. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (January 25, 2006). "$1 toll hike for bridges approved". sfgate.com. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
161. ^ "About MTC". Metropolitan Transportation Commission. October 15, 2009. Archived from the original on November 3, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
162. ^ "Frequently Asked Toll Questions". Bay Area Toll Authority. June 1, 2010. Archived from the original on November 22, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
163. ^ "Toll Increase Information". Bay Area Toll Authority. June 1, 2010. Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
164. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (May 13, 2010). "Reminder: Bridge tolls go up July 1". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
165. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (January 12, 2011). "Conflicting findings on Bay Bridge congestion toll". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
166. ^ "Bay Bridge Traffic Decreases After Congestion Pricing". CBS News San Francisco. January 12, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
167. ^ "Toll Increase Information: Multi-Axle Vehicles". Bay Area Toll Authority. July 1, 2012. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
168. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (June 6, 2018). "Regional Measure 3: Work on transportation improvements could start next year". SFGate.com.
169. ^ Kafton, Christien (November 28, 2018). "Bay Area bridge tolls to increase one dollar in January, except Golden Gate". KTVU.
170. ^ "Tolls on Seven Bay Area Bridges Set to Rise Next Month" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Commission. December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
171. ^ "Congestion pricing suspended on Bay Bridge, toll to remain at $6 everyday amid COVID-19 pandemic". KGO-TV. April 23, 2020.
172. ^ Smith, Darrell (September 7, 2019). "Do you drive to the Bay Area? A big change is coming to toll booths at the bridges". The Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on September 17, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
173. ^ "Cash Toll Collection Suspended at Bay Area Bridges". Metropolitan Transportation Commission. March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
174. ^ "New Year Brings New Toll Collection System to Bay Area Bridges". Metropolitan Transportation Commission. December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
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176. ^ "Toll Authority Approves 2026 Toll Hike, Carpool Policy Changes" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Commission. December 18, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
177. ^ Vaziri, Aidin (December 19, 2024). "Bay Area bridge tolls to rise by up to $4.50 over the next five years". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 2, 2025.

Bibliography

* "Findings and Recommendation For Completion of the Main Span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project" (PDF). Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program. California Department of Transportation. December 8, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 25, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
* Petroski, Henry. (1995). Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-679-43939-0.
* Reisner, Marc (1999). A Dangerous Place: California's Unsettling Fate. Penguin Books.
* Russell, Ron (March 17, 2004). "A Bridge Too Weak?". SF Weekly. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
* San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project. Retrieved August 24, 2005.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge.

Official sites

* Bay Area FasTrak – includes toll information on this and the other Bay Area toll facilities
* baybridgeinfo.org Site by Caltrans about all current construction on the bridge.
* California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) official Bay Bridge site Archived October 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

Journals

* "San Francisco To Have World's Greatest Bridges". Popular Science: 25–26\. March 1931.
* White, Tom (January 1933). "The Titan Of Bridges". Popular Mechanics: 10–14.
* "Giant Switchboard Controls Lights on Longest Bridge". Popular Mechanics: 42. January 1937.

Media

* "Building the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (1937 documentary)" on YouTube (17 minutes)
* "EarthCam San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Construction time-lapse" on YouTube
* Lower Deck Rail and Roadway Off Ramps, 1939, Dorothea Lange photo
* San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Construction Collection MSS 722.
* Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Library.
* "Bridging San Francisco Bay", PDH Online Course C577

Other

* Bay Bridge Oral History Project, Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley
* "Symphonies in Steel: Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate" at The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco
* "New Bay Bridge". Archived from the original on August 19, 2007.
* San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (West Span) at Structurae
* San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (Old East Span) at Structurae
* San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (New East Span) at Structurae
* Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. CA-32, "San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge", 415 photos, 20 measured drawings, 272 data pages, 48 photo caption pages
* HAER No. CA-230, "San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Firehouse", 1 photo, 2 data pages, 1 photo caption page

Crossings of the San Francisco Bay

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San Mateo–Hayward Bridge
| San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
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* Oakland Army Base
* Key System
* Naval Supply Depot
* Black Panther Party
* 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
* Firestorm of 1991
* Oscar Grant shooting
* Shootings of police officers
* Riders scandal
* Your Black Muslim Bakery
* Occupy Oakland
* Oakland Tribune
* 2012 Oikos University shooting
* Ghost Ship warehouse fire

Sports|

* Oakland Ballers
* Oakland Roots SC
* Oakland Soul SC
* Oakland Spiders
* Former
* California Golden Seals
* Golden State Warriors
* Oakland Athletics
* Oakland Raiders

Transportation|

* San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
* SR 24
* Caldecott Tunnel
* Posey and Webster Street Tubes
* MacArthur Maze
* Interstate 580
* Interstate 880
* Cypress Street Viaduct
* Interstate 980
* Warren Freeway
* International Boulevard
* Oakland – Jack London Square station
* Oakland International Airport
* AC Transit
* Eastmont Transit Center

| BART stations|

* 12th Street Oakland City Center
* 19th Street Oakland (Uptown Transit Center)
* Coliseum
* Lake Merritt
* MacArthur
* OAK
* Rockridge
* West Oakland

|

Other|

* Designated Landmarks
* Neighborhoods
* Notable people
* Tallest buildings
* Children's Hospital
* Mountain View Cemetery
* Lake Merritt
* Temescal Creek
* Sausal Creek
* Crime

Related|

* Alameda County
* San Francisco Bay Area
* California
* United States

* Category

* v
* t
* e

San Francisco Bay watershed

Outline|

* Hydrography
* Ecology
* List of tributaries
* List of lakes

Subdivisions|

Major
San Francisco Bay
Suisun Bay
San Pablo Bay
Minor
Golden Gate
Grizzly Bay
Richardson Bay
San Rafael Bay
Richmond Inner Harbor
San Leandro Bay
Former
Yerba Buena Cove
Mission Bay

Waterways|

Rivers
San Joaquin
Sacramento
Napa
Guadalupe
Petaluma
Creeks (discharging into the Bay)
Alameda
Baxter
Cerrito
Codornices
Coyote (Santa Clara)
Coyote (Marin)
San Leandro
San Lorenzo
Schoolhouse
Temescal
Sausal
Redwood
San Mateo
Sonoma
Corte Madera
Arroyo Corte Madera del Presidio
San Rafael
Miller
Novato
Tolay
San Francisquito
Pacheco
Alhambra
Adobe
Rodeo
Refugio
Pinole
Garrity
Rheem
Karlson
San Pablo
Castro
Wildcat
Fluvius Innominatus
Marin (Alameda County)
Strawberry
Easton
Mission Creek
Reservoirs
Calaveras Reservoir
Lafayette Reservoir
Straits and estuaries
Clifton Court Forebay
Carquinez Strait
Oakland Estuary
Raccoon Strait
Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta
Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel
Watersheds
Laguna Creek Watershed
Guadalupe watershed

Parks and
protected areas|

* Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge
* San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge
* Eden Landing Ecological Reserve
* Hayward Regional Shoreline
* Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center
* Crown Memorial State Beach
* McLaughlin Eastshore State Park
* Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve
* Point Isabel Regional Shoreline
* César Chávez Park
* Brooks Island Regional Preserve
* Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
* Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge
* Coyote Point Recreation Area
* Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
* National Estuarine Research Reserve
* China Camp State Park
* San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
* SF Bay Trail
* Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline
* Big Break Regional Shoreline
* Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve

Islands and
peninsulas|

Major islands
Alameda
Alcatraz
Angel
Treasure Island
Yerba Buena
Minor
Brooks
Bair
Bay Farm
Belvedere
Brother
Castro Rocks
Coast Guard
Greco
Hooks Island
Mare
Red Rock
The Sisters
Marin Islands
Roe
Ryer
Seal Islands
Peninsulas/infill
Albany Bulb
Brisbane Baylands
Point Isabel
Foster City
Fleming Point
Hunters Point
Sierra Point
Steamboat Point

Wetlands|

* Baylands
* Belmont
* Chelsea
* Cordelia
* Crissy Field
* Hoffman
* Meeker
* Mowry
* Napa Sonoma
* Point Molate
* Salt ponds
* Seal
* Stege
* Steinberger
* Suisun
* Westpoint

Bridges
and tubes|

Bridges
San Francisco–Oakland

Eastern span replacement
Richmond–San Rafael
San Mateo–Hayward
Dumbarton
Dumbarton Rail Bridge (inactive)
Golden Gate
Benicia–Martinez
Antioch
Carquinez
Leimert
Park Street
Fruitvale
High Street
Bay Farm Island
Tubes
Posey/Webster Street
Transbay

Ferries|

* Angel Island–Tiburon Ferry
* Blue & Gold Fleet
* Golden Gate Ferry
* San Francisco Bay Ferry (WETA)

Ports and
marinas|

* Port of San Francisco
* Oakland Seaport
* Port of Richmond
* Hunters Point Naval Shipyard
* Mare Island Naval Shipyard
* Port of Redwood City
* Berkeley Marina
* Oyster Point Marina/Park
* Westpoint Harbor
* Foster City Marina (proposed)

Other|

History
Delta and Dawn
Discovery Site
Humphrey the Whale
San Leandro Oyster Beds
Richmond Shipyards
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model
Harold Gilliam
Marincello
Ecology
Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve
Cosco Busan oil spill
Thicktail chub
Delta smelt
Conservation and Development Commission
The Watershed Project
Save The Bay
Citizens for East Shore Parks
Friends of Five Creeks
Urban Creeks Council
1971 oil spill
Greenbelt Alliance
The Bay Institute
Reber Plan
San Francisco Baykeeper
San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science
Estuary Partnership
Transportation
Water Trail
Transportation in the San Francisco Bay Area

* Portal
* Category

* v
* t
* e

Tunnels in the San Francisco Bay Area

Rail|

| ACE|

* Niles Canyon

|

BART|

* Berkeley Hills
* Berkeley Subway
* Fremont Central Park
* Market (lower level)
* Oakland Wye
* Silicon Valley BART extension (2036)
* Transbay

BNSF|

* Franklin

Muni Metro|

* Central
* Market (upper level)
* Sunset
* Twin Peaks

Caltrain|

* Bayshore Cutoff
* The Portal (proposed)

SMART|

* Cal Park Hill
* Puerto Suello Hill

CAHSR|

* Pacheco Pass (proposed)

Valley Link|

* Summit Tunnel (proposed)

Other|

* Geary/19th Avenue (proposed)
* Link21 (proposed)

Abandoned|

* Alto
* Fort Mason
* Sacramento Northern
* Wrights

Road|

| San Francisco|

* Broadway
* Fillmore (never built)
* Geary–Masonic
* MacArthur
* Presidio Parkway
* Southern Crossing (never built)
* Stockton
* Yerba Buena

|

East Bay|

* Caldecott
* Ferry Point
* Northbrae
* Posey and Webster

North Bay|

* Baker–Barry
* Robin Williams (Waldo)

Peninsula|

* Tom Lantos

Utility|

* Claremont
* Hetch Hetchy
* Mile Rock
* Richmond Transport
* Bay Tunnel

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* 2
* Spain
* Israel

Geographic|

* Structurae
* 2

Other|

* NARA

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