Bay Bridge Construction: Bay Area Traffic and Bay Bridge Closure

The Bay Bridge is closed for four days, the first Bay Bridge closure since the Loma Prieta Eaethquake in 1989. (Remember those "Series that Shook the Bay" t-shirts?) The east span of the Bay Bridge must be rebuilt to meet earthquake-readiness standards, and the current project is to build afootball-field-sized detour the section that's being rebuilt. The Bay Bridge closure will last until 5am September 8th, when the 3,600 ton detour segment is supposed to be in place.

However, if work falls behind, then all that Labor Day traffic will be stuck in a nightmarish quagmire as far as the eye can see. How likely is the project to be completed on time? Well, look at Highway 101 just north of Corte Madera and let that be your answer: that section of the freeway has been "under construction" since I was a small child. Let's just say that Caltrans doesn't have a rich history of efficiency, and maybe choosing Labor Day weekend as the start and finish of this project wasn't the best idea ever.
 

So far, traffic reports suggest that no unusual traffic jams (not the same thing as no traffic jams: Bay Area traffic is nightmarish, with the Golden Gate Bridge tailback, which extends for around 35 miles, being the worst in the US) have occurred, but BART ridership hasn't spiked. Maybe people are just staying at home. Good call.