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The Bay Bridge was completely closed down at 8 p.m. tonight after an eyebar cracked just before 6 this evening.
The eyebar had been troublesome during the Labor Day weekend closure for work, causing the bridge to reopen later than originally planned. It now needs to be repaired again, according to CalTrans.
A cable broke loose and struck a white Ryder truck and two other vehicles on the westbound deck, just east of the new S-curve, said CHP Officer Peter Van Eckhardt shortly after the incident, which was reported at 5:47 p.m.
Caltrans has since said no cables were involved in the incident, but that it was a crossbar and two rods that came loose.
Van Eckhardt said one person was “shaken up” but was not seriously injured and did not require hospitalization after the cable broke his windshield. An hour later the driver, who received a minor injury from shattered glass, was telling his story to TV news reporters on the scene.
Only one lane was left open to clear the bridge, and people were turned way at the approach to the toll plaza.
“We’re very familiar with these types of closures,” said CHP Sgt. Trent Cross on Channel 2 news around 7:40 p.m. “We’re not going to start the repairs until the bridge is cleared. No one is going to be stuck.”
He noted that the commute traffic was mostly over for tonight but that the closure would likely affect all the other Bay Area bridges and highways tomorrow.
“People have to look at the big picture,” he said. “We were fortunate that no one was injured or killed. Once we know it is safe, we will open up the bridge.”
At 9:30 p.m., all traffic was being diverted to other bridges, and the CHP was continuing to escort motorists who were on the bridge when the closure was implemented.
Caltrans said more than 40 portable, changeable messages are being used around the Bay Area, as well as overhead changeable message signs on freeways, to alert motorists of the closure.
BART spokesman Linton Johnson said the agency will run longer trains tonight to accommodate an increase in riders. In the event the bridge remains closed Wednesday morning, BART will run all available trains, Johnson said.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District announced tonight that all southbound lanes of the Golden Gate Bridge in the toll plaza will be open by 4 a.m. to accommodate heavy traffic.
Additionally, the Golden Gate Ferry will be prepared to add a high-capacity vessel to operate after 7 a.m. from Larkspur to San Francisco, according to the district.
The crack in the bridge was originally discovered over the Labor Day weekend, when the bridge was closed to allow crews to work on the bridge replacement project.
Crews tonight were continuing to assess the situation and work on a final repair plan.
–Bay City News contributed to this report.
–Bay City News contributed to this report.
