Happy 75th Birthday, Bay Bridge!

Elected officials, agency staff and the media gathered on Treasure Island on November 10, 2011, to mark the 75th anniversary of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The event was held in Casa de la Vista, a former military officers club that afforded stellar views of the West Span of the Bay Bridge.

The bridge originally opened on November 12,1936, in the midst of the Great Depression — an inspiring circumstance that several of the speakers noted. A caravan of period cars from the 1930s were on hand at the 75th celebration to evoke that era. Another highlight of the anniversary event was the unveiling of an outdoor interpretive exhibit showcasing the stunning new span that will replace the eastern half of the Bay Bridge. The public display is positioned on the south side of Treasure Island, directly across from the new East Span. The Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee, made up of MTC’s Bay Area Toll Authority, Caltrans and the California Transportation Commission, is building the new span and also hosted the 75th anniversary event and sponsored the interpretive display.

Simultaneous with the event, Caltrans introduced a new interactive web page at BayBridgeInfo.org/history with historical images and videos tracking the Bay Bridge over the last 75 years.

The event also shined a spotlight on The Bay Lights Project, which calls for the West Span of the Bay Bridge to become a canvas for a dynamic light installation designed by international artist Leo Villareal. Sponsors are mounting a funding campaign for the privately financed project in the hope of realizing the project during the Bay Bridge’s 75th anniversary year. 

– Brenda Kahn

Also of note: 

• An art exhibit, “Approach, Transition, Touchdown: The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Project,” blends elements of both the old and new Bay Bridge into an evocative commentary. The exhibit will show through November 23, 2011, at the Electric Works Art Gallery in San Francisco. The gallery is located at 130 8th Street, SF.
• An exhibit of photographs by Joseph A. Blum and Tom Paiva capturing the construction of the new East Span is on display at MTC’s offices at the MetroCenter, 101 8th Street in Oakland, on the second floor. The exhibit is open to the public weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Check in at the reception desk on the third floor.)