A decades-long plan to strengthen the Golden Gate Bridge to resist main earthquakes is transferring into its ultimate part of development.
The board governing the Golden Gate Bridge, Freeway and Transportation District, which manages the span, voted Friday to authorize about $1.01 billion in allocations towards the mission, which has surged in value. It’s anticipated to take greater than 10 years to finish.
The approvals embrace a $864 million contract with Halmar Worldwide LLC, a New York firm, plus a $41.3 million contingency for unexpected bills. The board additionally licensed a $141.7 million price range improve, with these funds being drawn from the district reserves.
“To be here today awarding this contract is an exciting step to ensure the bridge is safe for our future generations,” mentioned Patricia Garbarino, a district board member representing Marin. “Thank you to staff and to everyone involved in the herculean effort … to reach this important milestone for the seismic retrofit of our 88-year-old bridge.”
“This is a huge investment that we’ve been excited to make for a long time,” Marin County Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, a member of the board, mentioned forward of the vote. “The bridge is an important infrastructure in the North Bay that we’re happy to protect and preserve. It’s a great investment.”
Initially, the mission was estimated to value about $880 million. The brand new mission value estimate stems from sharp value will increase within the development business and supplies market for the reason that pandemic, mentioned Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz, a district official.
Due to the mission measurement, the work is being cut up into two subphases, he mentioned.
The approval covers what’s described as “contract 1,” a development mission anticipated to start in early 2026 and final six years, he mentioned. A subsequent “contract 2” — on the estimated value of a further $900 million — will observe completion of the primary contract. Work underneath the second contract is predicted to proceed for an additional 5 years, Cosulich-Schwartz mentioned.
“The district is committed to completing the entirety of the Golden Gate Bridge seismic retrofit project and will be developing a financing plan for the final construction contract over the coming years,” he mentioned.
The contract approval comes after district officers voted this summer season to take away variety, fairness and inclusion language in coverage paperwork to keep away from backlash from the Trump administration.
The U.S. Division of Transportation put the Golden Gate Bridge district on discover in a April letter that warned in opposition to DEI insurance policies. The letter from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged that any “policy, program, or activity that is premised on a prohibited classification, including discriminatory policies or practices designed to achieve so called ‘diversity, equity and inclusion,’ or ‘DEI,’ goals, presumptively violates Federal Law.”
District workers mentioned a $395.7 million federal grant to assist the seismic retrofit of the enduring span was probably at stake.
Bridge tolls are the district’s major income, and, in contrast to most different transit businesses, the district receives no devoted state or native tax funding. When the district buys new buses or ferries or does work on the bridge, about 80% of the cash comes from federal sources, workers mentioned.
Along with the $395.7 million grant in federal Bridge Funding Program funds, the “contract 1” mission is supported by $200 million from the Caltrans Federal Freeway Bridge Program and $274.3 million in district reserves.
The four-phase seismic retrofit mission, which was launched in 1997, was prompted by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. The 15-second, 6.9-magnitude quake induced main harm to bridges and highways, together with the collapse of the highest deck of the Bay Bridge and the Cypress Avenue viaduct in Oakland. The Golden Gate Bridge had no observable harm however was situated about 60 miles north of the quake’s epicenter.
A vulnerability examine carried out by the bridge district after the Loma Prieta quake discovered {that a} magnitude 7.0 quake with an epicenter close to the bridge might trigger main harm to the span. A magnitude 8.0 temblor would create a considerable danger of collapse on the two viaducts on the San Francisco and Marin entry factors in addition to on the Fort Level Arch.
About $260 million in seismic upgrades had been accomplished at these susceptible sections of the bridge from 2001 to 2014. District workers mentioned the bridge not faces the danger of collapse at these sections, however there may be nonetheless a danger of great harm elsewhere on the span.
The ultimate part consists of strengthening the principle span and two aspect spans whereas reinforcing each towers and the south tower pier.
The mission will give attention to the towers and aspect spans first as a result of they’re much less versatile than the principle span. That work consists of putting in massive metal plates at tower bases and strengthening the tower trusses. Growth joints the place the highway meets the towers and pylons can be changed to permit for three-dimensional motion in case of a giant earthquake.
A complete of 255 flooring beams on the highway can be retrofitted and 38 absorption units can be put in to cut back the circulate of quake vitality into the bridge. The mission can even repaint the south tower above the highway.
“While the Golden Gate Bridge can safely withstand a large earthquake today, the final phase of the seismic retrofit will help ensure the bridge remains in service in the aftermath of a major natural disaster and will help our region respond and recover in the days, weeks, and months that follow,” mentioned John Eberle, district engineer. “We’re excited to embark on this project that will create hundreds of union jobs and protect the Golden Gate Bridge for future generations.”
IJ reporter Steven Rosenfeld contributed to this report.
