Politics & Government
Shims Wedged into New Bay Bridge as Temporary Crutch
The new eastern span of the Bay Bridge was shimmed up this past weekend with temporary steel plates so that it can be ready for its scheduled Sept. 3 debut, bridge authorities said today, Monday.
Work crews have successfully wedged steel shims coated with Teflon tape into the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge to make it seismically safe for the planned Sept. 3 opening, bridge authorities said today, Monday.
The shims, which are small steel plates, were installed this past weekend and are intended as an "interim fix," bridge authorities said.
The shims are intended to secure the new $6.4 billion structure while crews continue working on a longer-term solution to compensate for the bad bolts that have been a source ofmajor delay, extra cost and embarrassment for the project.
Installation of shims, weighing collectively 3,500 pounds, was coordinated by the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee (TBPOC), which includes Caltrans (California Department of Transportation), the Bay Area Toll Authority and the California Transportation Commission.
Meanwhile, don't forget that the Bay Bridge will be closed for five days before the opening of the new span:
"Bay Bridge Closure: How Will You Get Around When The Span Is Closed For Five Days?"
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