Thaindian News

While on the round of a routine inspection of the Bay Bridge on Saturday, inspectors have discovered a crack in one of the crucial junctures of the east span.

According to reports, this latest development (or clog) could lead to jeopardizing the plans of the bridge’s reopening on the morning of Tuesday, September 8, after the shut down that is functional over the extended weekend of the Labor Day.

The 73 year old Bay Bridge has been shut down to the traffic beginning Thursday, September 3 at 8 p.m. and will remain closed to commuting till the 5 a.m. of this Tuesday. This time is said to be utilized by the construction authorities to conduct a thorough inspection of the very busy bridge and get ahead with some construction work too.

The construction flaw has been located in a chainlike steel hinge (or link), which is reported to be holding up the eastern peripheral portions of the bridge. The fissure in the metal body of the bridge is reported to be quite deep indeed, running up to some centimetres. The link itself is said to be almost up to 2 inches in thickness. According to senior bridge engineer Ken Brown, the inspection revealed that it was almost cracked halfway in between.

At a news briefing that had been held late Saturday night, Caltrans’ spokesman Bart Ney is reported to have said, “The crack is significant enough to have closed the bridge on its own. We have to make this repair before we reopen the bridge.” The last time any inspection of the bridge had been brought about was in 2007. During the gap in between, the fissure may have occurred.