Caltrans To Make Final Concrete Pour On Bay Bridge Eastern Span
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — With less than six months until the opening of the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge, Caltrans is about to make another construction milestone.
At 7 a.m. on Saturday, 136 trucks carrying concrete will start pouring the final section of deck on the eastbound side of the new eastern span. The work is expected to take several hours.
"This is really the last piece of the puzzle in terms of getting the deck sections in place," said Bay Bridge Spokesman Andrew Gordon. The work will take place just past the toll plaza, off to the right of what officials are calling the Oakland Touchdown.
Caltrans Reaches Milestone In Bay Bridges Eastern Span Construction
While he described the pouring as a major milestone, he said there will be plenty of activity between now and the opening on Labor Day weekend.
"There's still work going on with cleaning and painting the main cable of the self-anchored suspension span and the suspender cables. There's paving to be done. They have to erect barrier rail. There's electrical work to be done. So there's quite a bit of work that needs to be done," Gordon said.
All that work must be completed before the final closure of the current eastern span, to allow the new span to be connected from the Yerba Buena Island tunnel.
The expected closure will last from Wednesday, August 28 at 8 p.m. until the new bridge opens to traffic on the morning of September 3rd. Public celebrations for the new bridge are set for Sunday, September 1st and on Labor Day, September 2nd.
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