Westbound Bay Bridge to Close This Weekend

Baybridgeinfo.org warns weather could slow construction and delay the reopening of the westbound deck, which is planned to remain closed until construction of the detour is completed.

BART has released a list of stations that will open overnight - in Southern Alameda County only includes the Bay Fair station in San Leandro.

The following information is from a Bay Bridge Seismic Safety Projects press release:

What will change:

Westbound drivers will experience a slightly different approach to the bridge after Presidents’ Day weekend. While speed limits will remain the same, drivers heading toward San Francisco should be prepared for a slight detour as they approach the upper deck.

How to get to SF from the East Bay:

During the closure, motorists are encouraged to take public transit and/or alternate driving routes. Transit options will include overnight BART service at select stations and additional ferries; AC Transit will not be providing Transbay Service. Motorists should allow extra time for travel and use of other bridges, including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge.

Benefit of closure:

By implementing this detour, along with an eastbound detour that was installed during Memorial Day weekend in 2011, the entire bridge will open to the public earlier than previously scheduled (Labor Day weekend of 2013). The detours will allow construction crews to work between the existing and new bridges to complete the new eastbound lanes, which is not possible without the traffic realignment.

The current westbound lanes are in the path of the new bridge’s eastbound lanes. Without the detours, eastbound traffic would have stayed on the original bridge for about six months after westbound traffic traveled on the new bridge.