Gallery: California's Busiest Bridge Has a Serious Issue With Rust

  • Image may contain Bridge Building City Town Urban Metropolis and Suspension Bridge
    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    01

    080714-demo-Burbank-2[3]

    The eastern, self-anchored span section of the San Francisco Bay Bridge, viewed from the Treasure Island.
  • Image may contain Bridge Building Water Waterfront Architecture Dock Port and Pier
    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    02

    012615-demo-Burbank-6

    The new eastern span replaces the older, steel cantilever-and-truss bridge that was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    03

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    The eastern span's tower is 525 feet tall.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    04

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    At 238 feet and ten lanes, the eastern span is the world's widest bridge.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    05

    demo 1-7

    The eastern span during construction.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    06

    072214-demo-burbank-lg-15

    The port of Oakland in the foreground; Marin County and the Golden Gate Bridge in the back.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    07

    111414-demo-Burbank-3

    Caltrans is giving one tenth of one percent of the old bridge's steel away to artists---for free.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    08

    demo 3-3

    The rest gets recycled and sold.
  • Image may contain Road Transportation Car Vehicle Automobile Freeway Construction City Town Urban and Building
    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    09

    101714-demo-burbank-lg-2

    As they approach Yerba Buena, the two halves of the bridge stack.
  • Image may contain Landscape Outdoors Nature Scenery Water Road Waterfront Aerial View Architecture and Building
    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    10

    111414-demo-Burbank-7

    About 800 double-crested cormorants nest in the old eastern span. These protected birds have added significant delays---and costs---to taking down the old span.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    11

    BayDemo-Burbank-4

    There's not much rain in California, but what does fall could cause the new eastern span's cable to rust.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    12

    120414-demo-Burbank-5

    The San Francisco Bay is only about 14 feet deep on average, though there are significantly deeper shipping channels.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    13

    092515-Burbank-Demo-020

    The eastern span's roadway is 191 feet above the water.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    14

    baybridge

    The eastern span connects Oakland to Yerba Buena.
  • Image may contain Vehicle Transportation Watercraft Vessel Water Waterfront Building Dock Port Pier and Bridge
    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    15

    BayDemo-Burbank-16

    Uncharacteristically light traffic on the bridge.
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    CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    16

    night-4.16.2015SamBurbank-2

    Oakland's busy port lights up the horizon.
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