Traffic Advisory for Labor Day Weekend Bay Bridge Closure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Arcata Chamber of Commerce
Arcatas California Welcome Center
1635 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521-4573
Phone: 707.822.3619
Fax: 707.822.3515
August 28, 2009
Traffic Advisory for Labor Day Weekend Bay Bridge Closure
Arcata — Arcatas California Welcome Center wishes to inform travelers of the Labor Day weekend closure of the Bay Bridge beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3. The bridge will reopen by 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 as Caltrans completes an essential and unprecedented construction feat.
This is one of the last, busiest travel times of the summer, said Brenda Bishop Executive Director for Arcatas Chamber of Commerce and its California Welcome Center. We want to make sure that travelers plan ahead and are not caught off guard by the closure of one of the Bay Areas major bridges leading into San Francisco, the south bay, and the San Francisco airport.
The California Welcome Center provides travelers with the most current road conditions, fire updates and park and recreational closures. In addition, it supplies travelers with free maps, brochures, internet access and national, state and local information.
During the closure, motorists are encouraged to take public transit and/or alternate driving routes. The public can find the latest information on transportation alternatives at 511.org.
While the bridge is closed this year, a 300-foot-long double-deck section of the East Span will be cut and rolled out of the way, 150-feet above Yerba Buena Island (YBI). A new double-deck section will be moved into place to connect the bridge with a short detour.
Traffic will flow on the half-mile-long detour connecting the East Span to the YBI Tunnel until the new Bay Bridge opens. The traffic shift will allow crews to demolish a portion of the original bridge, and build a new (permanent) connection from the tunnel to the new East Span. The new eastbound and westbound roadway alignment will require traffic to slow down to 40 mph on the detour.
More travel information is available by stopping in at the California Welcome Center located at 1635 Heindon Rd. in Arcata, or by calling 707/-822-3619. The California Welcome Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.