Full closure of the existing bridge was necessary to complete construction work at the Oakland touchdown and Yerba Buena Island tunnel in order to transition traffic from the old span to the new one. It will involve connecting work at both ends mostly, paving, striping lanes, installing barriers.
The new eastern span is open. It comes 24 years after the deadly Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the bridge and shut it down. After decades of debate and years of construction, the newer and safer version of the Bay Bridge is finally a reality.
Bay Bridge seismic retrofit information: www.baybridgeinfo.org
Bay Bridge closure information and an animation of the new span: www.baybridgeinfo.org/closure
CAMS
Keep an eye on the Bay Bridge:
>> 24-hour Bay Bridge Live Video (Yerba Buena Cam)
>> ABC7 Live Web Cams (Bay Bridge)
>> Bay Bridge construction cams
PLAN AHEAD FOR YOUR COMMUTE: TRANSIT RESOURCES
The Bay Bridge carries about 260,000 vehicles a day. That means traffic on the main
alternatives like the San Mateo, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael, and Golden Gate
bridges may be moving at a snail's pace. Here are some resources to help you get around:
Bay Area FasTrak
Skip the lines to pay the toll at Bay Area bridges and breeze on through. Sign up for FasTrak here. Remember the Golden Gate Bridge now uses all-electronic tolling so you can use FasTrak to pay the toll or you will receive an invoice. More info on that here: GoldenGate.org/tolls
Alternate bridges in the Bay Area and toll cost:
Golden Gate Bridge
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
San Mateo-Hayward Bridge
Dumbarton Bridge
511.org
Use 511.org for transportation and transit planning. Click here for 9/2 Labor Day Bay Area transit agency holiday schedules.
San Franciso Bay Ferry
Vallejo/SF service:
- Weekdays: On Thursday and Friday, August 29 and 30 there will be 14 Vallejo departures compared to 11 normally.
- Weekend and Labor Day: Regular Vallejo weekend schedule in effect
- Expanded service on Vallejo, Alameda Main Street, Oakland, Harbor Bay, and SF routes
- The "South San Francisco /East Bay" route will operate regular weekday schedule including the Friday, August 30 SSF to San Francisco excursion service
- Direct service between Alameda Main Street and SF, and direct service between Oakland and SF. Normally Alameda, Oakland and SF are served with one boat
- Expanded service from Harbor Bay, Alameda Main Street and Oakland
- Vallejo will operate regular weekend schedule
- There will be Angel Island service from Vallejo, Alameda Main Street and Oakland on Saturday, Sunday and Labor Day
- Weekdays: Normally 8 vessels operating, will run 10 vessels.
- Weekends: Normally 3 vessels operating , will run 5 vessels.
BART
During the Bay Bridge closure, BART will provide 24-hour service beginning Wednesday night into Thursday morning, continuing each overnight except for Monday into Tuesday, when they will close after the last trains reach their destinations after midnight and reopen at 4 a.m Tuesday. If you're riding BART for the first time during the bridge closure, make sure you check out this primer on the basics before you head out.
During the overnight service, trains will run on an hourly basis between 14 stations:
- Embarcadero
- Powell St.
- 24th St. Mission
- Daly City
- San Francisco International Airport
- El Cerrito del Norte
- Downtown Berkeley
- MacArthur
- 12th St./Oakland City Center
- Coliseum/Oakland Airport
- Bay Fair
- Dublin/Pleasanton
- Concord
- Walnut Creek
AC Transit
During the temporary closure of the Bay Bridge, AC Transit is offering special
services so that passengers can continue to San Francisco on BART:
>> Find your bus at North Berkeley BART
>> Find your bus at West Oakland BART
>> Find your bus at Coliseum BART
>> Find your bus at MacArthur BART
TRANSIT TOOLS
Waze app
The Bay Bridge closure will cause massive traffic delays during Labor Day weekend. But, no need to fret, thanks to the Waze community! Waze maps are updated with the main Bay Bridge closure and all users will be routed around it, getting the fastest route possible.
>> Get Waze to bypass this event's road closures and traffic jams
>> Waze Driver's Survival Kit
Bay Bridge Explorer app
Experience the New Bay Bridge first-hand. Explore the project in stunning 3D powered
by the Unreal Engine. See future changes to your drive as we prepare to open the new
bridge.
ABC7's Real-time traffic map
Check for any major road delays with the real-time traffic map and freeway trip times.
NOTEWORTHY LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS AROUND THE BAY AREA
>> Oakland Athletics Baseball Games
>> America's Cup
>> Cal Berkeley Football game (8/31)
>> Sausalito Art Festival (8/31 - 9/2)
>> Milbrae Art and Wine Festival (8/31 - 9/1)
>> Bay Area FamilyFest in Martinez (8/31 - 9/2)
>> Ringling Brothers Circus at the Cow Palace (8/29-9/2)
>> SFJAZZ Summerfest 2013 at Stanford Shopping Centerl (8/29)
>> Yerba Buena Gardens Festival (9/1)
