A little pain for motorists during a long weekend in February 2012 will translate to a big gain down the road. Caltrans announced in early January that the westbound deck of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will be closed during Presidents Day weekend in order to complete a traffic detour at the Oakland end of the bridge’s new East Span, near the toll plaza.
Published: February, 2012
A little pain for motorists during a long weekend in February 2012 will translate to a big gain down the road. Caltrans announced in early January that the westbound deck of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will be closed during Presidents Day weekend in order to complete a traffic detour at the Oakland end of the bridge’s new East Span, near the toll plaza.
By shifting westbound traffic slightly to the south of the existing route, Caltrans will be able to expedite work to connect the eastbound deck of the new East Span to the Oakland shoreline, and ensure the full opening of both decks of the new bridge in late 2013.
The upper deck (westbound) heading into San Francisco is scheduled to be closed from 8 p.m. Friday, February 17, to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 21. However, eastbound traffic will have full access to the bridge during the closure.
Westbound drivers will experience a slightly different approach to the bridge after Presidents Day weekend. While speed limits will remain the same, drivers heading toward San Francisco should be prepared for a slight detour as they approach the upper deck.
During the closure, motorists are encouraged to take public transit and/or alternate driving routes. Transit options will include overnight BART service at select stations and additional ferries. Since access to the westbound deck of Bay Bridge will be cut off, AC Transit will not be running its transbay service. Motorists should allow extra time for travel and use other bridges to get to San Francisco from the East Bay.
By implementing this detour, along with an eastbound detour that was installed during Memorial Day weekend in 2011, Caltrans and its partners — the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) and the California Transportation Commission — will be able to open the entire bridge to the public earlier than previously scheduled. The detours will allow construction crews to complete the new eastbound lanes now, a scenario that would not have been possible without the traffic realignment, since the current westbound deck along the incline leading to San Francisco is in the path of the new bridge’s eastbound lanes.
"We’re going to surgically remove the part of the structure that’s in conflict," Bay Bridge spokesman Bart Ney said at a January press briefing, "and put a construction crew in between the new bridge and the old bridge to complete the eastbound touchdown."
Without the detours, eastbound traffic would have stayed on the original bridge for about six months after westbound traffic traveled on the new bridge. Since the Bay Bridge East Span is being replaced due to seismic concerns, every day that can be shaved off the construction schedule brings the Bay Area public a day closer to enhanced seismic safety.
Clear skies are essential for the operation, since it involves asphalt work and restriping lanes. Caltrans is warning that wet weather could extend or postpone the closure. BATA has been partnering with Caltrans on solving this complex construction puzzle, providing transit alternatives during the weekend closure and keeping the public informed via the 511 traveler information service.
For more information about the eastbound detour, visit BayBridgeInfo.org/otd_detour.
Stay Tuned to 511 for Closure Updates & Transit Alternatives Get the latest construction and closure updates at BayBridgeInfo.org, and the latest information on transit options at 511.org, or call 511 free of charge.
