San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Skyway Segment

In January 2002, a Kiewit-led joint venture was selected to construct the $1.04 billion “Skyway Segment” of the eastern span crossing the San Francisco Bay from Yuerba Buena Island to the city of Oakland, Calif. Considered Phase I of a four-phase seismic retrofit to replace the existing double-deck steel bridge, the project is the largest single contract in Caltrans history. The two new twin precast segmental bridges accommodate five lanes of traffic in each direction and a bike path on one side.

The 1.2-mile-long, 14-span bridge deck consists of 452 precast concrete segments, each weighing as much as 750 tons. Each segment made a 10-hour journey from the fabrication yard in Stockton, down the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers and to the bridge site. On December 7, 2006, the project reached a major milestone when the final two segments were lifted into place. With the segments positioned, crews connected the larger of the two with newly poured concrete, cables and two 60-foot-long steel hinge pipes that will allow the bridge to move in an earthquake.