Oakland in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Oakland - San Francisco Bay Bridge
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 29, 2020
1. The Oakland - San Francisco Bay Bridge Marker
Inscription.
The Oakland - San Francisco Bay Bridge. . The opening of the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge in 1936, and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, forever changed the local economy and transportation habits of the Bay Area, allowing easier travel and access to new places for work and recreation.
The Bay Bridge is really two bridges, one an eastern span between Yerba Buena Island and Oakland, the other a western span between between the Island and San Francisco. The pier you are standing on is built on pilings that once supported the original eastern span.
The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake caused a portion of the upper eastern span deck to fail, providing a wake-up call: if a 6.9 earthquake centered sixty miles away could cause such damage, imagine what the largest earthquake predicted possible on the Hayward Fault, a 7.3 magnitude, centered only six miles away could do! There were many years planning a new, seismically secure suspension bridge for the eastern span. Built between 2002 and 2013, it cost around $6.5 billion-many times more than the $250 million originally estimated. Now over 100 million vehicles per year cross over this iconic landmark.
The opening of the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge in
1936, and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, forever changed
the local economy and transportation habits of the Bay Area,
allowing easier travel and access to new places for work
and recreation.
The Bay Bridge is really two bridges, one an eastern span
between Yerba Buena Island and Oakland, the other a
western span between between the Island and San Francisco. The pier you are standing on is built on pilings that once
supported the original eastern span.
The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake caused a portion of the upper eastern span deck to fail, providing a wake-up call: if a 6.9 earthquake centered sixty miles away could cause such
damage, imagine what the largest earthquake predicted
possible on the Hayward Fault, a 7.3 magnitude, centered
only six miles away could do! There were many years
planning a new, seismically secure suspension bridge for the
eastern span. Built between 2002 and 2013, it cost around
$6.5 billion-many times more than the $250 million
originally estimated. Now over 100 million vehicles per year
cross over this iconic landmark.
Erected 2020 by East Bay Regional Park District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical year for this entry is 1936.
Location. 37° 49.272′ N, 122° 19.885′ W. Marker is in Oakland, California, in Alameda County. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Oakland CA 94607, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this
More about this marker. The marker is located on the bridge-side of the observation pier, about 2/3 of the way out along the pier, in Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline Park.
Also see . . . San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (Wikipedia). "The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, known locally as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California. As part of Interstate 80 and the direct road between San Francisco and Oakland, it carries about 260,000 vehicles a day on its two decks. It has one of the longest spans in the United States." (Submitted on November 12, 2020.)
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 29, 2020
2. The Oakland - San Francisco Bay Bridge Marker, looking west towards San Francisco
The marker is visible here on the right side of the pier.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 29, 2020
3. The Oakland - San Francisco Bay Bridge Marker - wide view, looking east towards Oakland
Barrie Rokeach (courtesy of the EBRPD), circa 2014
4. Marker inset: The new eastern span
"The new eastern span (foreground) opened September 2, 2013. The demolition of the old span was completed in 2017."
Photographed By Jack Smith (courtesy of EBRPD), circa November 1, 1989
5. Marker inset: Quake Damage
Damage to the eastern span from the Loma Prieta earthquake.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 396 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 12, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
