Repairs To Begin On Bay Bridge Fender Damaged By Oil Tanker
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Caltrans plans to begin making repairs Tuesday to Bay Bridge fenders that were damaged when an oil tanker struck the bridge earlier this month.
The tanker, the Overseas Reymar, hit the easternmost tower on the bridge's western span around 11:20 a.m. on Jan. 7.
There was no oil spill, and no one aboard the 752-foot vessel was injured, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The fender system worked as it was intended to, and the structure of the bridge was not damaged, according to Caltrans.
The damage to the fender system was estimated at somewhere between $2 million and $3 million.
Repairs to Begin on Damaged Bay Bridge Fender
A Metropolitan Transportation Commission staff member told the Bay Area Toll Authority Oversight Committee earlier this month that while there is reserve money to pay for the damage, the commission will also try to collect money from the tanker's owner, OSG Ship Management Inc.
Repairs to the fenders, which are made of steel and recycled plastic, are expected to take about four and a half months, Caltrans officials said.
(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
