Caltrans Wants To Implode Remaining Piers of Old Bay Bridge
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Caltrans officials sought approval Monday to implode the remaining piers of the old Bay Bridge beginning in October.
The transit agency successfully removed one of the massive piers using early 600 explosive charges last November.
After the implosion, Caltrans declared it a success, saying that a "bubble curtain" of air around the pier successfully contained the implosion and that impact to protected wildlife was minimal though some fish were killed in the process as expected.
Officials asked the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee (TBPOC) to approve a $130 million contract that would include the final steps for demolition of the new obsolete bridge.
The contract will allow Caltrans to proceed with plans to implode Piers E4 – E18 of the old bridge starting later this year. Caltrans hopes to use the same successful implosion method that was used in November for Pier E3.
The entire demolition process for the remaining structure is expected to last approximately three years.
Upon approval, Piers E4 and E5 will be demolished in October-November. Piers E6 through E11 will then be demolished in the fall of 2017. Piers E12 through E18 would then be removed in late 2018.
"The signing of this environmental mitigation contract to remove the piers from the Bay represents what could be the last major milestone for both the Bay Bridge and the State Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program," said Chief Bay Bridge engineer Brian Maroney.