San Francisco Oakland Bridge

A controversial new look for the nation's busiest toll bridge won approval Wednesday despite objections from several local mayors that the design is ugly and flawed. The 11-1 vote of the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission gives the go-ahead to a redesigned eastern span of the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge that features a long causeway with a single suspension tower. Construction is expected to begin in early 2000 on the $1.5-billion project.

OAKLAND - A state-sanctioned oversight panel on Thursday announced that officials would press ahead with plans to open the troubled eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to traffic around Labor Day weekend. The single-tower, self-anchored suspension bridge - which stretches from Yerba Buena Island in the middle of the bay to Oakland - initially was scheduled for a celebratory unveiling Labor Day weekend. But the project, in the planning since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the original eastern stretch, has been fraught with problems.

OAKLAND - A state-sanctioned oversight panel on Thursday announced that officials would press ahead with plans to open the troubled eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to traffic around Labor Day weekend. The single-tower, self-anchored suspension bridge - which stretches from Yerba Buena Island in the middle of the bay to Oakland - initially was scheduled for a celebratory unveiling Labor Day weekend. But the project, in the planning since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the original eastern stretch, has been fraught with problems.

SAN FRANCISCO - The much-delayed and over-budget eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will not open as scheduled on Labor Day weekend, transportation officials announced Monday, eliciting disappointment but little surprise in a region dependent on the soaring structure. The Bay Area's second-most-famous visual icon was severely damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing a motorist and unleashing a generation of controversy. The new span was scheduled to open in September with a splashy party costing more than $5 million and possibly including a bridge walk, a bike ride and a recreational run. But in March, it was discovered that 32 bolts on the structure had fractured.

A preliminary Coast Guard investigation has determined that human error caused a cargo ship to crash into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. On Saturday, crews intensified efforts to rescue wildlife and clean up the resulting oil spill. "There were skilled enough individuals on board this ship," said Rear Adm. Craig Bone, the Coast Guard's top official in California. "They didn't carry out their missions correctly."

OAKLAND - State and regional transportation officials announced plans Wednesday for a retrofit to the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge that will cost up to $10 million and effectively do the job of nearly 100 massive bolts that failed earlier this year. Questions remain, however, about whether the world's largest single-tower, self-anchored suspension span will open on Labor Day weekend as planned. The new span will replace the one that partially collapsed in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

SAN FRANCISCO - The much-delayed and over-budget eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will not open as scheduled on Labor Day weekend, transportation officials announced Monday, eliciting disappointment but little surprise in a region dependent on the soaring structure. The Bay Area's second-most-famous visual icon was severely damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing a motorist and unleashing a generation of controversy. The new span was scheduled to open in September with a splashy party costing more than $5 million and possibly including a bridge walk, a bike ride and a recreational run. But in March, it was discovered that 32 bolts on the structure had fractured.

Crews trying to repair the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge ran into problems Friday, stopping work as they waited for new steel plates needed to strengthen the troubled span. The bridge will probably stay closed through the weekend, and it was unclear if it would reopen for the Monday morning commute.

Starting Monday, the fine for illegally using the car pool lanes on the east approach to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will increase more than 300%. The new fine for drivers who get nabbed using the lanes either by themselves or with only one passenger will be $236, up from $71. The lane is reserved for cars carrying at least three people.

OAKLAND - State and regional transportation officials announced plans Wednesday for a retrofit to the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge that will cost up to $10 million and effectively do the job of nearly 100 massive bolts that failed earlier this year. Questions remain, however, about whether the world's largest single-tower, self-anchored suspension span will open on Labor Day weekend as planned. The new span will replace the one that partially collapsed in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

A preliminary Coast Guard investigation has determined that human error caused a cargo ship to crash into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. On Saturday, crews intensified efforts to rescue wildlife and clean up the resulting oil spill. "There were skilled enough individuals on board this ship," said Rear Adm. Craig Bone, the Coast Guard's top official in California. "They didn't carry out their missions correctly."

A controversial new look for the nation's busiest toll bridge won approval Wednesday despite objections from several local mayors that the design is ugly and flawed. The 11-1 vote of the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission gives the go-ahead to a redesigned eastern span of the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge that features a long causeway with a single suspension tower. Construction is expected to begin in early 2000 on the $1.5-billion project.

Officials said the eight-mile expanse of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will be permanently ablaze with 850 fluorescent lights, thanks to $750,000 in contributions. "It will be a grand display in the sky, something that will look at us all night long," said San Francisco attorney William Bagley, chairman of the state Transportation Commission, which chipped in half the money for the lighting project. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. donated another $100,000.

Business is booming on Amtrak's Coast Starlight train. Ridership on the route between Los Angeles and Seattle was up 24% for fiscal year 1997, when nearly half a million people took the train. . . . Last week, tolls doubled from $1 to $2 on state-owned bridges, including the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tolls remained $3 on the Golden Gate Bridge. The money is financing $2.5 billion worth of work on five bridges.