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San Mateo Bridge, San Francisco Bay, California
Location
The San Mateo Bridge, also called the San Mateo - Hayward Bridge, runs roughly east-west so as to cross the lower part of San Francisco Bay. It carries California State Highway 92 so as to join Haywood, I-580 and I-880 on the east side of the bay with Foster City, San Mateo and US101 on the west side.
Description
This bridge consists of five miles of trestles, forming a low level artificial causeway. Near the western end there is a high level steel girder bridge for shipping to pass under. This steel girder section is 9650 feet long, with a main span of 750 feet, of which 550 feet is of orthotropic design - meaning that the traffic drives on the bridge structure itself, without the need for a concrete deck. This is a relatively recent new development in the construction of girder bridges. In the orthotropic design stiffened steel plates act simultaneously as the road deck and also as the top flanges of both transverse floor beams and longitudinal support girders.
This bridge was opened in 1967, replacing an earlier bridge built in 1929. At the time of its opening the 1929 structure was the longest bridge in the world. On the western side a long section of the old bridge remains in use as a fishing pier.
There are plans to start work soon on the construction of a second parallel bridge.
In the summer of 1999 there was a toll of $2 toll for normal cars westbound (collected at the eastern end) and as far as I am aware no toll eastbound. There didn't seem to be any reduction for "car pools" (cars with several passengers). I would consider the toll well worthwhile just for the experience of driving across this incredible bridge.
In the Area
California
Bridges
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Most recently modified 9-Jan-00