Berkeley Celebrates Bay Trail Extension and Dedicates Bike Bridge

It was an eventful afternoon at the Berkeley Marina this past Friday, with crowds gathering in the characteristic wind to celebrate the grand opening of a new Bay Trail extension and unveil a plaque acknowledging those who were integral in the creation of the adjacent Interstate-80 bicycle/pedestrian bridge. 

The Bay Trail extension, which now measures about a mile and eventually will go 1.3 miles, juts off of the main spine of the trail and provides off-road bicycle and pedestrian access along the south side of University Avenue from West Frontage Road to the South Sailing Cove parking lot. Eventually, the path will extend along Seawall Drive to the Berkeley Yacht Club.

Jim McGrath, Berkeley Park & Waterfront Commission chair, said the trail extension will help the community appreciate and support Berkeley’s natural landscape. “When you’re next to the Bay, you begin to see the resources and why it matters,” he said.

State Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, one of the many elected officials who spoke at the event, including MTC Commissioner and Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, confessed she is “personally the beneficiary” of the project, since she and her husband frequently bike on the trail and over the bridge.

The Bay Trail Extension is a stand-alone project, but is one of several planned enhancements to the Marina area, including constructed wetlands, picnic areas and improvements to boating facilities. MTC played a role in funding the $1.9 million project.

Friday’s two-part ceremony started with the unveiling of a plaque acknowledging the dozens of elected officials, designers and engineers who made the I-80 bike/ped bridge a reality. The event shined a spotlight on Mark Ketchum, chief designer and engineer for the structure, which has become an attractive and iconic gateway for Berkeley as drivers approach the city on I-80.

When the I-80 bike/pedestrian overcrossing opened in 2002, the shorefront area, already popular among bikers and hikers, became much safer, said  Berkeley City Councilmember Linda Maio at Friday’s ceremony. “I remember when you had to walk up the steps (of the car overpass) and take your life in your hands. Nobody has a bridge like this,” she said.

 “It’s truly a testament to what we value in Berkeley: access to all,” said City Councilmember Darryl Moore.

The new plaque also mentions Tung-Yen “T.Y.” Lin, a renowned bridge engineer who died in 2003, shortly after the overpass opened. At the event, his daughter Verna Lin-Yee said Lin “always felt that a bridge was more than just a structure; it connects people and places.”

Calling Lin his mentor, Ketchum in his remarks recalled a comment made by a young girl at the overpass’ opening day: “She said the bridge was like a jungle gym for King Kong.” Ketchum recounted the difficult challenges of designing the bridge, which took on a pretzel-like configuration in order to conform to the confined footprint of the available space. Thanks to the thoughtful design, sharp angles and steep ascents were avoided, thereby allowing cyclists to ride across instead of dismounting, Ketchum said.

— Natalie Orenstein