Bay Bridge Explorer App Lets You Drive on New Bridge

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The ever-changing shape of the San Francisco Bay Bridge is about to shift again over Memorial Day weekend as part of a larger effort to retrofit one of the world's busiest bridges. And as you might recall, drivers don't adapt well to the  abrupt changes. Remember the confusion and crashes on the bridge after the notorious "S curve" was built?

But that's why the state has released a new app today -- Bay Bridge Explorer -- for iPad users. It will explain exactly what is going on with the bridge construction in real time. More importantly, it lets drivers cruise the bridge in its virtual form with a little tilting and tapping of their iPads, Mashup reports.

And, yes, the 3D game gives you room to speed on the Bay Bridge.

The new game might be one of the cleverest ideas Caltrans has ever had. The state agency overseeing the massive $5 billion retrofitting and replacement project says it created the app as a way to communicate the important changes to the tech-savvy Generation Y. You can test it out with the new detour on May 28, when drivers on the lower deck of the Bay Bridge will face a new traffic flow.

The game will be updated until the project is complete, which is scheduled for 2013.

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