Local News

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / KCBS / AP / BCN) ― Caltrans contractors began sliding in the new 300-foot section of the Bay Bridge to replace one that was removed Friday night, as part of a project to create a traffic detour while a new seismically sound span is built. 

The new section is going to be in place for 3 to 4 years.

Workers started moving the section a little before noon on Saturday. By Saturday night, the double-deck roadway was nearly in position. It will link the existing span to a newly built detour route that will remain until the new eastern-side span is completed.

Crews are expected to begin the bolting and welding work on Sunday, in addition to attaching utility lines.

Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney said they remain on schedule to re-open the bridge by 5 a.m. Tuesday or earlier.

Throughout Saturday traffic was sluggish around both the San Mateo and Golden Gate Bridges during the second full day of the Bay Bridge closure.

Traffic on the San Mateo Bridge was very busy in both directions. On the peninsula, northbound and southbound traffic on Highway 101 was heavy from Highway 92, all the way to SFO.

Saturday's drive in both directions of the Golden Gate was stop and go throughout the day.

Golden Gate Bridge District Spokeswoman Mary Currie said patience is going to be a virtue for drivers.

"People are just going to have to be patient and wait for the congestion to move through," Currie said.

Currie said commuters should expect much of the same throughout the rest of the weekend.

"Sunday is always our highest traffic day on Labor Day weekend. Always," she said. "Particularly with the fabulous weather that we're having, the Sausalito Arts Festival and everything else that's happening around town."

Currie said more ferries have been scheduled and the district will change lane patterns as they see fit to help ease the congestion.

She has some advice for those still looking to cross the Golden Gate.

"Travel before noon. Our traffic before noon has been fabulous. So if you can get out before noon or wait till about 11 o'clock at night, you're going to be fine," said Currie.

The old section of the Bay Bridge was successfully removed by Saturday morning, despite falling behind schedule Friday, according to a Caltrans spokesman. 

Demolition teams had hoped to move the 300-foot section of the span starting at 1 p.m. Friday, but the older steel of a span built 80 years ago presented some unexpected challenges, said Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney.

That section of roadway finally started its 20 foot per hour swing out of the way during the Friday evening commute, and was removed by Saturday morning.

Caltrans had set a time frame of five to eight hours to move that section out of the way to make room for the new section. Ney said Caltrans built in 24 hours of buffer time into the work schedule to accommodate unforeseen complications such as this one.

The bridge has been closed since Thursday night. Caltrans and other transportation agencies spent weeks preparing for increased public transportation use and potential traffic congestion in the region.

While officials reported a smooth Friday morning commute without the Bay Bridge, by afternoon there were lenghty backups approaching the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and congestion around the San Rafael-Richmond Bridge.

Extra Bay Area Rapid Transit trains were running throughout the Labor Day Weekend to accommodate commuters.  Friday, the first full day the Bay Bridge was closed, BART had 395,000 riders.  That's the second highest ridership ever.

BART was offering limited overnight service over the holiday weekend, said spokeswoman Luna Salaver. The rail line normally shuts down around midnight, but was now operating 24 hours.

Blue & Gold Fleet ferry service dispatchers said there was an increase in riders between Oakland and Alameda and San Francisco on Friday, but regular service accommodated the additional passengers.

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