RON HENGGELER

September 3, 2013
The historic opening of the new Bay Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco as seen on Monday from Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands

San Francisco as seen with a 300mm lens from Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands

The top of the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge,
with the new tower of the Bay Bridge slightly to the right right in the far distance,
as seen from Hawk Hill with a 300mm lens

The Bay Bridge - now with a soaring, signature tower anchoring the new east span - is finally open.
The bridge had been scheduled to open at 5 a.m. Tuesday. But construction went smoothly, so at 10:15 p.m. Monday, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol took down barricades at on-ramps and interchanges and let traffic flow to the bridge for the first time.
Dave and I became part of history last night by being some of the first people to cross the new span right after it opened. (This photo was taken from the Emeryville Marina right after we had crossed the new span.)

Dave and I had just driven back from the Marin Headlands after visiting Battery Tomley.
We knew of the possible early opening, so we drove over to Rincon Hill to check out the situation.
The CHP was standing by at the freeway entrance so we waited in a queue with several other vehicles.
15 minutes later the barriers were removed and we became part of history by being some of the first to cross the new bridge going east-bound from San Francisco.
(This photo was taken from the Emeryville Marina right after we had crossed the new span.)

This photo is shot from the top of Yerba Buena Island less than an hour after the historic opening of the new Bay Bridge.

This photo is shot from the top of Yerba Buena Island less than an hour after the historic opening of the new Bay Bridge.

A detail of the tower, shot from the top of Yerba Buena Island,
less than an hour after the historic opening of the new Bay Bridge

Another photo shot from the top of Yerba Buena Island,
less than an hour after the historic opening of the new Bay Bridge

The image is taken from the base of Yerba Buena Island

 

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