Feds Probe Caltrans Response To Broken Bay Bridge Rods; Timeline In Doubt

OAKLAND (KCBS/AP) - Federal transportation officials are investigating the state's response to broken steel seismic safety rods on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Federal Highway Administration spokesman Doug Hecox said Monday that the agency has launched its probe. It will examine the California Department of Transportation's conclusion about the cause of the rod failure, and the state's recommended fix.

The rods were made in 2008 and are designed to connect the bridge deck to so-called "shear keys," which help control movement during an earthquake.

Caltrans had requested that FHWA review its findings that the rods broke because hydrogen penetrated the steel, which caused it to become too brittle.

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