On The Job-The Bay Bridge

There are 2 bridges that connect the northern part of the peninsula to its neighbors to the north and east. The Bay Bridge lets drivers trek over the bay toward Contra Costa county and point east. This is a two-part span bisected by Yerba Buena/Treasure Island. At this time, it is a double-decker construction on both sides of the island. the western direction is on the lower deck. The eastern, as seen below is on top and exposed to the sky. After paying the toll, there is a gentle incline up to the working altitude of the bride.

Once the elevation levels off, you enter the cantilever portion of the bridge. this took the heaviest damage during the Loma Prieta earthquake. Rather than further retrofit the bridge, it was decided to build a new eastern span. Its hard to make out but behind the beam is the single tower that will suspend the new bridge due to open next year. It will be a single anchored suspensions bridge with a side-byside roadway

After passing throught the tunnel that was bored through the island, the western span opens up to view of the city skyline. This portion of the bridge is also a suspension design and very similar to the Golden Gate Bridge. Four towers are used to hold up the span between San Francisco and Yerba Buena/Treasure Island.

The cables supporting the driving surface whiz by as the buildings of the downtown area appear to your right. To the left, not pictured, you can see AT&T Park, the home of the World champion San Francisco Giants


More info can be found at http://http://baybridgeinfo.org/