Caltrans: Dumbarton Bridge On Schedule To Reopen On Time
MENLO PARK (KCBS)— Caltrans officials said they are still on schedule to reopen the Dumbarton Bridge in time for the Tuesday morning commute.
On Monday, crews were putting the finishing touches on the roadway, as work on the bridge has been nonstop throughout the holiday weekend.
Caltrans spokesperson Effie Millionis Verducci said the hardest part is over.
"We now have the new joint in place. What's next to do is the barriers up on the deck and getting the deck ready to be put back into operation."
That joint is designed to give the bridge greater flexibility to withstand a major earthquake.
KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:
Millionis Verducci said crews actually lifted the bridge at the site of the new joint by five inches and the adjacent piers by three and five inches.
"This is prep work so that over the next few months we can install seismic bearings in between the deck and the foundations," she said.
The expansion joint has been added to the western side of the bridge. A similar closure will have to happen on another as-yet-undetermined weekend to install a similar joint on the eastern side.
The $60 million earthquake retrofit project is expected to be completed next year.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)