Last Time We'll Warn You: Bay Bridge To Close at 8 p.m. Here's What They're Going to Do.

By Joe Eskenazi Thu., Sep. 3 2009 at 8:30 AM

Categories: Local News

CalTrans District 4 Photography

It seems folks have gotten the message -- the number of cars heading over the Bay Bridge and into the city this morning more closely resembles a 2 a.m. contingent than what you'd normally witness at 8 a.m. on a workday. Apparently, no East Bay denizen wants to show up at 8:01 p.m. tonight and find him or herself forced to recreate the circuitous joys of Oct. 17, 1989.

So, yes, the forthcoming 8 p.m. closure of the Bay Bridge until Tuesday will be the longest not spurred by an act of God.We thought we'd seen or heard all we cared to see or hear until we saw this CalTrans brochure. First of all, the photo above is nothing short of jaw-dropping (click on it for a larger version). We're just not used to viewing the bridge from this majestic vantage point; the mass of girders and concrete and beams waiting to temporarily replace another set of girders and concrete and beams appear much less chaotic from afar.

Second, we were amused by the following step-by-step rendering of the weekend's construction generated by CalTrans; they've made the forthcoming four days and change of back-breaking labor look simpler than a glue-free, snap-together model kit:

It's just four simple steps. Cut the old section, slide it out, slide the new section in and call in some waiting toy cars, trucks, and buses. Sounds like fun. Maybe they should demolish a mini-plaza or two while they're at it.

Good luck and Godspeed -- and, yes, we look forward to seeing the coming construction work truncated into a stop-motion video set to classical music.