Bay Bridge Re-Opens Today After Successful Stress Testing

by Yuliya Talmazan | November 2, 2009 at 08:39 am

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UPDATE -- November 2: The Bay Bridge is now open.

Nearly a week of frustration ended for commuters when the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge reopened Monday following emergency repairs.

Traffic began moving across the span after two rods and a crossbar were replaced and passed vibration and other tests, said Bart Ney, a spokesman for the state transportation department.

"I know that it's been difficult," he said. "But we're happy to be returning the Bay Bridge to public service."

San Francisco's Oakland Bay Bridge is set to re-open on Monday, as crews are finishing stress testing bridge repairs. However, California Department of Transportation officials are saying if any problems are found during Bay Bridge testing, the Bridge will remain closed. The news of a looming Bay Bridge reopening brings relief to the San Francisco residents whose commute was complicated by the Bridge's closure. The Bridge has been closed since last Tuesday when one of the supporting cables snapped as cars were making their way across it.

Final inspections were under way early Monday, nearly a week after two steel rods and a steel crossbeam plummeted from the bridge, said Bart Ney, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation.

Engineers did their sixth night of repair work Sunday. Crews performed stress tests Saturday night, Ney said, but the results showed the potential for metal grinding, which could cause another break.

The latest information is that the Bay Bridge will reopen at 8:45-9 AM local time. Bay Bridge now has its own Twitter account, which one can subscribe to for the latest updates.