Dumbarton Bridge Earthquake Upgrade Completed
FREMONT, CA — The Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee (TBPOC), comprised of Caltrans, the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) and the California Transportation Commission (CTC), are celebrating a major milestone — the completion of the earthquake retrofit of the Dumbarton Bridge. Officials gathered today at the foot of the bridge in Fremont for a press event and tour of the work.
The Dumbarton is the last of the San Francisco Bay Area’s state-owned toll bridges to be retrofitted, leaving just one more project – the ongoing replacement of the East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge – remaining in the $9 billion Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program. The new Bay Bridge East Span is scheduled to open to vehicle traffic on September 3, 2013.
“All state-owned bridges in the Bay Area are now equipped with cutting-edge seismic technology,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “Residents can feel confident when they drive across these structures.”
The $89 million Dumbarton project started in October 2010. It features a reinforced bridge deck, nearly 100 robust bearings that allow the bridge’s deck to shift independently of the foundations during an earthquake, and a strengthened superstructure.
“By working efficiently and being well-organized, we were able to finish this project months ahead of schedule,” said Caltrans District 4 Director Bijan Sartipi, who is also a commissioner for BATA and its sister agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). “We are proud of the work we have done with our partners to bring this bridge up to the latest seismic safety standards.”
TBPOC Chairman and BATA/MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger noted, “With the Dumbarton retrofit now complete and the opening of the new Bay Bridge East Span racing toward a Labor Day finish line, we are closing an important chapter in the history of Bay Area transportation.”
The original Dumbarton Bridge was built in 1927 and a completely new structure was built in 1982 for about $70 million. The 1.6 mile-long bridge connects Menlo Park and Fremont, and will serve more than 60,000 vehicles daily.
Contact:
John Goodwin, BATA: (415) 778-5262
Bob Haus, Caltrans: (510) 286-5576