Date: April 1, 2013
Districts: 4 - San Francisco, 6 - Concord, and 13 - Vacaville
PORTION OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY BRIDGE TO BE PRESERVED
CalTrans is finishing the replacement for the historic eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, a key artery between San Francisco and Oakland. CalTrans and its partners, Solano County, Contra Costa County, the Sacramento River Waterway Commission and the Western Railway Museum, have agreed to preserve a section.

The San Francisco Bay Bridge was built with two railroad tracks, to permit East Bay interurban trains to access the City, in fact that was the express purpose of the Transbay Terminal. This railroad was used by interurban trains of the Sacramento Northern, Key System and Southern Pacific.

CalTrans had worked with this museum before to preserve historic structures, however it hadn't worked out because they could not access the museum's location by barge.

"This time, we've got that beat," reported project manager Cave Johnson. "A short incline section will be installed at Chipps, in Solano County, on the north edge of the Sacramento River. It's just a few miles from the museum, in fact where the old Sacramento Northern car ferry docked up. Their first ferry was called the Bridgit. I like their sense of humor. Anyway, across the river in Contra Costa County, the other dock was at Mallard. We'll be preserving another section of incline there. We are also preserving the majestic cantilever section of the bridge. Right in the middle. We're pouring the footings now."

Environmental clearance was not a problem. "Chipps Island is, well, was the only refuge of the twink-breasted plover," reported Johnson. "Well, when those little tykes saw how many zeroes were on the check we were writing them, suddenly their only refuge is the next island over. That's environmentalism! Oh, and if you've got stock in any bird seed companies, might want to stay put."