Final Bay Bridge Construction Push Will Require Days Of Closure

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) - History will be made even before the opening of the new Bay Bridge Eastern Span. The original bridge will be closed for as many as five days, starting after the evening commute on August 28th and running through Labor Day. That will be the longest planned bridge closure we've ever seen.

The work involved is lot of paving, specifically the area right before Yerba Buena Island, where the new bridge must connect into the tunnel. Crews will also pave the roads going to and from the toll plaza. After that's done, crews will be doing a lot of striping; But it's more than just painting lanes, there's demolition work to do, too. The old part of the bridge, equaling the size of three football fields, will come down.

So, how can you get around the inevitable traffic headache with the Bay Bridge is closed that weekend? The best alternates are still heading south toward the San Mateo and Dumbarton Bridges, or cutting over to use the Richmond-San Rafael and Golden Gate Bridges. Also, Bart will likely step up service, along with other mass transit agencies to help you cross the bay.

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