Here’s my crossing of the Bay Bridge at 1.15 am on Monday morning with very light traffic. Man! I see there had been lots of issues during the construction of the bridge (with a $6.4 billion price tag, by the way), some of them still unresolved.
Bay Bridge problems (as reported by sfgate.com, here)
Recent issues with the Bay Bridge eastern span:
Cable: Bridge maintenance experts urged Caltrans to retrofit the span’s main cable to protect it from corrosion, and the project’s chief designer warned that leaks raised the threat of corrosion in the cable’s two anchorages.
Tower rods: Water has flooded most of the 400-plus rod sleeves in the tower foundation. One rod has failed, and others developed tiny cracks. Caltrans says the rods aren’t in danger.
Deck concerns: Several of the 14 giant steel boxes that form the two bridge decks did not fit together neatly during construction. The bridge’s chief designer acknowledged that some joints are likely to suffer “local damage” in a big earthquake.
Leaks: Water has been leaking into the hollow bridge structure since at least 2012. Caltrans says there has been no damage, but outside experts say there are indications of rust and corrosion.