Bay Area Celebrates Completion of Bay Bridge East Span Decks

Aided by the giant Left Coast Lifter crane, crews today placed the last deck section on the new Bay Bridge East Span’s signature element, the soaring self-anchored suspension span (SAS). The operation was a major milestone for the SAS, whose twin decks now meet up with the twin decks of the already completed Skyway portion of the new East Span. With the closing of the deck gap in the middle of the Bay, the two halves of the East Span have been fused into a continuous 1.7-mile pair of roadways stretching from the Oakland shore to Yerba Buena Island in a sweeping curve.

State and local officials and media gathered at 10 a.m. to witness the last stages of the placement operation, in which the 1,049-ton deck segment hovered over the gap between the SAS and the adjacent Skyway, allowing for a photo opportunity. Over the next roughly 45 minutes, the Left Coast Lifter artfully lowered section 14W into place with scant margins on either side (the W standing for the westbound deck, and the 14 indicating that it is the last of 14 pairs of SAS deck sections). The work started at dawn, and by 11 a.m., the piece was fully in position.

The last segment sported banners saluting the ironworkers and operating engineers who have worked day and night to assemble the SAS tower and decks, which were fabricated in Shanghai. The event was blessed with perfect fall weather conditions — a bright sun, crystal clear skies and just enough breeze to unfurl the American flag planted in the edge of the deck section.

The slowly descending piece formed a backdrop for the speakers, which included Acting Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty, Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) Executive Director Steve Heminger and Brian Petersen, project manager for American Bridge/Fluor, which is the primary contractor on the job. Also on hand were officials from the bridge’s two anchor cities, signifying the East Span’s role in connecting the East Bay and West Bay: Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru (filling in for S.F. Mayor Ed Lee).

Quan said that the construction project represents the push for economic recovery, infrastructure investment and jobs, while also pointing to its importance for the seismic safety of the Bay Bridge’s 280,000 daily travelers. “We all felt the tremors last week. We know why we’re here today,” she said, referring to last Thursday’s pair of unnerving earthquakes centered in the Berkeley area.

Heminger likewise spoke to the seismic imperative to complete the East Span as quickly as possible. “Now that we have all the steel in place, I hope we can put the pedal to the metal,” he said. ”Congratulations to all the workers who have gotten us this far, and let’s get the last stretch done now.”

Once the speakers had concluded and the piece had set down, the relative quietude surrounding the delicate operation was broken as a small army of ironworkers sprang into action to detach the overhead Left Coast Lifter from the deck segment’s surface, the distinctive tools that dangle from their belts clanging like wind chimes. Afterward, the workers gathered on the SAS for their own informal celebratory huddle and photo session to mark the end of this phase of construction.

Today’s operation also was a swan song for the Left Coast Lifter, a patriotically painted red-white-and-blue behemoth that towered 328 feet over the Bay these past couple of years as it toiled on various aspects of the East Span, including erecting the 28 steel deck sections making up the SAS.

Although the SAS and Skyway decks are now essentially complete, an intentional gap will remain where they meet up mid-Bay. The space will be bridged by a seismic joint that will allow the two halves of the bridge to move independently of each other in the event of a major earthquake.

Meanwhile, work continues apace at either end of the completed SAS/Skyway decks. On the west end, crews are constructing a transition structure that will connect the side-by-side decks to the double-deck Yerba Buena Island Tunnel. On the east end, construction is proceeding on the Oakland touchdown. This latter project will require closure of the existing Bay Bridge’s westbound (upper) deck over a weekend in early 2012 to connect a detour. The detour will clear the way for completion of the touchdown.

Toward the end of 2011, attention will shift skyward as crews begin to pull the strands for the SAS’ nearly mile-long main cable.

The Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee — which is made up of BATA, Caltrans and the California Commission and is overseeing the new East Span — is aiming for a 2013 completion date. – Brenda Kahn