The Bay Bridge is what people usually call the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which was completed in 1936, one year before its more famous (and more frequently fogged-in) sister, the Golden Gate Bridge. It is the longest steel high-level bridge in the world. The Yerba Buena tunnel that goes through Yerba Buena Island midway through the bridge is the tallest bore in the world. And the bridge is also the most expensive single structure ever built. The deepest pier of the structure contains more concrete than the entire Empire State Building.
The entire bridge, including the approaches, is 43,500 feet long. Many people said it couldn't be built, but it remains a huge success. Commuters (me included!) travel it every morning from the East Bay, enjoying the views of the water, ships, sea birds, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco skyline. It's currenly being retrofitted for more advanced earthquake safety, but remains open.
You can see live views of and from the Bridge at:
http://www.rearden.com/live/default.html
and photographs from its construction at http://www.sfmuseum.org/assoc/bridge00.html |
