SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE, EAST SPAN

San francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge, East Span

San Francisco, California

Donald MacDonald Architects provided design services for the new East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Working with the acclaimed New York bridge engineering firm, Weidlinger Associates, the team designed and conceptualized various modifications on a self-anchoring suspension bridge concept. The MacDonald/Weidlinger team also worked with the joint venture of T.Y. Lin International/ Moffat & Nichol to create a signature bridge for the San Francisco Bay. After four presentations, the panel selected the MacDonald/Weidlinger self-anchoring suspension system. The selection was favored because this system worked well with the family of the existing San Francisco Bay bridge.

Learn more about the design of this project in Donald MacDonald’s book, here.

Client – Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Location – Oakland, San Francisco, CA
Timeline – 2002-2013
Bridge Engineer – TY Lin, Moffat Nichol, Weidlinger
Overall Length – 2.2mi
Type – Self Anchored Suspension, Segmental
Main Span – 1,263
Deck Width – 258.33,’ 15.5′ multi-use path
Tower Height – 525′
Cost – $6.5B

Additional Media On This Project

The DMD designed East Span of the Bay Bridge (San Francisco-Oakland) complements and counterpoints the existing bridges ringing the San Francisco Bay from Carquinez to the Golden Gate.

A NEW ICON FOR THE BAY AREA

Connecting Treasure Island, a state park, to Alameda county, the new bridge span boasts a bicycle lane and is surrounded by recreational areas where cycling, boating, and sailing are commonplace activities. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is a structure rich with historical and cultural significance. Such a signature bridge is a controversial project, meriting the involvement of eight different local counties.

Awards

2015 Outstanding Structure Award; International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE)

2015 Outstanding Project Award; Deep Foundations Institute (SFI)

2015 Grand Conceptor Award; American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)

2015 Public Works Project of the Year; American Public Works Association (APWA)

2015 George S. Richardson Medal; International Bridge Conference (IBC)

2015 Project of the Year; Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI)

2015 National Grand Award; American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)

2015 Golden State Award; American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC-CA)

2014 America’s Transportation Award, Grand Prize; American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

2014 Global Road Achievement Award for Design; International Road Federation (IRF)

2014 America’s Transportation Award, Best Use of Innovation; American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

2014 Award of Excellence, Infrastructure; Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC)

2014 Excellence in Structural Engineering Award; National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA)

2014 Globe Award, Projects over $100 Million; American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA)

2014 Excellence in Transportation Award, Major Structures; California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

2014 Award of Excellence; Portland Cement Association (PCA)

2014 Special Recognition Award; California Transportation Foundation (CTF)

2013 Outstanding Transportation Project Award; American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), San Francisco Section

2013 Project of the Year Award; American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Region 9