State highway officials say high winds and traffic vibrations caused a patch on the cantilevered section of the San Francisco Bay Bridge to fail. That's scary. High winds and traffic vibrations are hardly abnormal conditions for the Bay Bridge
The state Department of Transportation owes Californians a full explanation of how the bridge failure occurred and it must be confirmed by an independent investigation.
Three sections of the support system crashed onto the roadway of the bridge's eastern span, between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island, hitting three cars during Tuesday's evening commute. Miraculously, no one was killed.
Authorities immediately closed the Bay Area's busiest bridge to traffic. They hoped repairs could be completed and the bridge quickly reopened, but now they are unsure about the timing.
So far, Caltrans has only offered up excuses. Traffic vibrations are a constant presence for this bridge and high winds are common. Officials say workers failed to properly reinforce the crack that was found and repaired during the Labor Day bridge closure two months ago.
How could that happen?
The crack, found during a federally mandated structural inspection, took highway officials by surprise. It was discovered just as crews were preparing to install a 288-foot S-turn, part of the Bay Bridge's seismic upgrade following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
Repair crews worked 70 hours nonstop to get the bridge reopened following the Labor Day closure. Transportation officials praised workers for their "exceptional dedication" and "teamwork."
Looking back, highway officials must wonder if getting the job done quickly sacrificed safety and thoroughness. The Bay Bridge is an essential transportation link, not just for Oakland and San Francisco, but all of Northern California.
Much harsher winds will blow if state officials don't get to the bottom of how this serious mishap and take steps to prevent a similar one in the future.
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