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| Eastern Span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Name | Eastern Span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge |
| Other names | Bay Bridge East Span |
| Location | San Francisco, Oakland, California, California |
| Coordinates | 37.8193°N 122.3656°W |
| Owner | Metropolitan Transportation Commission |
| Maintained by | California Department of Transportation |
| Designer | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Modjeski and Masters, T.Y. Lin International |
| Builder | American Bridge Company, Kiewit Corporation, Manson Construction Co. |
| Opened | September 2, 2013 |
| Crosses | San Francisco Bay |
| Length | 2.2 miles (approx.) |
| Design | self-anchored suspension, box girder, concrete viaduct |
Eastern Span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge The Eastern Span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge is the replacement eastbound crossing between San Francisco and Oakland, California over San Francisco Bay. The span was built as part of a seismic safety and modernization program after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and opened to traffic in 2013 under the oversight of California Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and regional stakeholders.
The east span connects the City of San Francisco approach at the Yerba Buena Island tunnel to the Oakland, California approach near the Oakland Army Base site, forming a critical link on Interstate 80 (California), serving commuters to San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport, and freight movements to the Port of Oakland. The replacement span comprises a single-tower self-anchored suspension span, a long concrete viaduct, and approach structures designed to meet standards developed after the Loma Prieta earthquake and influenced by guidelines from the National Science Foundation, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the United States Geological Survey.
Planning accelerated after the Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the original 1936 eastern span, prompting involvement from Caltrans District 4, the State of California, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Public debate featured stakeholders including San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Alameda County Board of Supervisors, San Francisco Planning Commission, and advocacy groups such as Critical Mass (cycling)],] Trust for Public Land, and Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Design competitions and legal challenges included firms like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and contractors including American Bridge Company and Kiewit Corporation, with controversies over cost, procurement, and deadlines leading to oversight by the California State Auditor and hearings in the California State Legislature. The project replaced the original cantilever structure designed in the 1930s and incorporated responses to directives from the Federal Highway Administration and recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Lead designers such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and engineering firms like T.Y. Lin International delivered a single-tower self-anchored suspension (SAS) main span, connecting to a long reinforced concrete box-girder viaduct. The aesthetic and structural choices were debated by officials including Mayor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Jerry Brown and reviewed by civic bodies such as the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Engineering references included work by Ove Arup & Partners, Modjeski and Masters, and research institutions like University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University on seismic performance, wind tunnel testing at University of Western Ontario, and fatigue analysis using standards from the American Institute of Steel Construction and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
Construction involved major contractors American Bridge Company, Kiewit Corporation, Manson Construction Co., and specialized fabricators such as PDM Steel, working with suppliers including ArcelorMittal, Nucor, and CalPortland. Materials included high-performance concrete specified by Portland Cement Association standards, structural steels conforming to ASTM International specifications, and seismic bearings from vendors evaluated by Underwriters Laboratories. Marine construction required coordination with United States Army Corps of Engineers, dredging permits involving the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and environmental oversight by the California Coastal Commission. Work sequencing used methods practiced by Bechtel Corporation and modular fabrication borrowed from projects like Golden Gate Bridge retrofits and the San Mateo–Hayward Bridge expansion.
Seismic design incorporated performance-based engineering from National Science Foundation-funded research at Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER), input from United States Geological Survey seismic hazard maps, and retrofit lessons from the Loma Prieta earthquake. Features include a single-tower SAS designed to accommodate ground motions predicted for the San Andreas Fault and the Hayward Fault, isolation bearings, energy-dissipating devices similar to those evaluated by Los Alamos National Laboratory, and redundancy in the box-girder sections per ASCE 7 standards. Reviews by independent panels included experts from University of California, Berkeley, California Institute of Technology, and Stanford University.
Operations fall under Caltrans District 4 with funding and planning coordination from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Bay Area Toll Authority. The crossing handles commuter flows to downtown San Francisco and downtown Oakland, connects to Interstate 880 (California), and integrates transit considerations for agencies like Bay Area Rapid Transit, AC Transit, and Caltrain via regional planning by Association of Bay Area Governments. Maintenance regimes use inspection protocols from the Federal Highway Administration and specialized firms such as HDR, Inc. and WSP Global for structural health monitoring, with funding mechanisms involving toll revenue managed by the Bay Area Toll Authority and audits by the California State Auditor.
Environmental review involved the California Environmental Quality Act, permitting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and community engagement with neighborhood groups in Treasure Island, Emeryville, California, and Jack London Square. Mitigation measures addressed impacts to San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge habitats and fisheries monitored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, while landscaping and public access components coordinated with San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and East Bay Regional Park District. The project intersected with regional planning efforts by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and sustainability goals advanced by organizations such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club.
Category:Bridges in California Category:Suspension bridges in the United States Category:Buildings and structures in San Francisco Category:Buildings and structures in Oakland, California