Motorists Told To Plan Ahead For Bay Bridge Closure
OAKLAND (CBS/AP/BCN) — Police and transportation officials are warning motorists to find alternate routes around the Bay Area next week through Labor Day weekend while workers ready the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge.
The California Department of Transportation said in a statement Wednesday that travelers and commuters should also allow extra time however they choose to travel while the bridge is closed. Motorists should use common sense, remain calm and plan ahead, officials urged.
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"We're asking motorists to obey all traffic laws, to be patient and to allow themselves more time to get to their destinations," California Highway Patrol Officer Sam Morgan said.
The bridge closure is planned for 8 p.m. Wednesday Aug. 28 through 5 a.m. Tuesday Sept. 3, the day after Labor Day.
Federal officials gave their approval and local officials voted unanimously last week to approve a temporary fix for broken seismic safety bolts that had delayed the opening of the new, $6.4 billion eastern span.
The vote cleared the way for the span's reopening around Labor Day.
Even though state transportation officials are mounting a massive public information campaign to let people know that the bridge will be closed, Morgan said there are always some people who don't get the message and will inevitably ask officers why the span isn't open.
"There are always a few people on another planet," Morgan said. "We get a lot of people who are from outside the area or who are on a different drumbeat."
He said drivers who usually use the Bay Bridge but plan to use other area bridges while the span is closed should learn about the geography in those other areas so they don't get lost.
The CHP said motorists should also make sure they have a full tank of gas in case they get stuck in traffic while trying to use the Bay Bridge just before it closes and are suddenly forced to take an alternate route.
The San Francisco and Oakland police departments said their agencies would help the CHP during the bridge closure by having officers at the approaches on each side of the Bay Bridge.
In addition, OPD spokeswoman Johnna Watson said the Oakland Police Department's marine unit would be available to help patrol the San Francisco Bay if there were emergencies.
Watson said that after the new eastern span opens, Oakland police officers on bicycles will patrol the pedestrian walkway and bike path on the span. Morgan said the CHP also would have bicycle officers who will patrol the walkway and bike path.
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