The juncture with the Warren Freeway Route 13 is visually clued by the plane cut through the hills. At the eastern end of the MacArthur Freeway the motorist travels tangent to the rhyolite hillsides which appear to rise from the roadbed itself. The pines along Foothill Boulevard create an attractive edge effect, lining the freeway with mature forty foot specimens. Hailed by an enormous American flag, mysterious for its size, but in fact hoisted from the gas station at Foothill Shopping Center, the driver approaches the San Leandro City limit.
From Scenic Highways , a report published by the City of Oakland. Contributed by and 1 others. Two lanes link with U. South West. Fairview Drive temporarily carried U. The final section of I, 3. Fifth Street spans I ahead of Exit 3 former Exit Fifth Street joins Fairview Drive with U. Fairview Drive extends south from College Parkway at U. West from Exit 3 former Exit 38 , the four lane boulevard serves an array of industrial businesses and retail to U. Western style art lines this section of I south at its over crossings.
Interstate concludes 1. I curves west toward Lake Tahoe beyond the Clearview Drive overpass. The bulk of joints on the 5. Then in August , Caltrans maintenance crews were dispatched to look at the underside of the upper deck after reports of loud banging and clanging noises at the spot where the joint ultimately failed.
The type of joint is known as a steel to steel connection because it relies on two overlapping steel plates embedded into the end of concrete road deck sections with steel studs. The joints are designed to handle heat expansion and contraction between deck sections but apparently became undermined under the pounding inflicted by heavy trucks.
In March , it was reported the joint repair was proceeding on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge after chunks of concrete hadfallen from an expansion joint. Officials blamed the mishap on a cracked expansion joint — one of the foot steel bars that link sections of thebridge and allow it to move when the temperature changes. Craters and gashes in the roadway are a fairly commonoccurrence on the bridge, including some large enough to view the water below.
The span, completed in , has a thin deck that suffers constant batteringfrom cars and trucks. The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge will be first in line following recent incidents of concrete falling from the upper deck. As part of the study, Colorado-based Bridge Diagnostics and Massachusetts-based Infrasense will use various technological surveying tools such as radar to penetrate deep into the bridge decks without damaging them.
They will search for signs of degradation, cracking and more. The completion date is set for March The cost of replacing the decks could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
In April , it was announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission has announced that each of the original joints on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge will be replaced with new joints. The original 31 joints were installed in the mids. To avoid cracking on the upper deck, the new joints will shrink and expand as the weather changes with a rubber seal, according to officials. Crews expect to have all joints replaced on the upper deck in July Opened in , the bridge utilizes two decks to carry traffic across I and connects San Rafael in the west to Richmond in the east.
Commuters using the toll bridge were more than a bit upset on the morning of Feb. Some motorists were so agitated that they turned their vehicles around and drove against the traffic to get off the bridge.
Experts quickly determined that spalling — concrete that flakes or breaks up, most likely due to the bridge's age and the Bay Area's often harsh weather — had caused the deterioration along an expansion joint near the bridge's eastern end.
Other likely factors include the constant vibration and wear-and-tear on the grizzled old bridge. Each of the probable causes for this incident has done damage to the Richmond-San Rafael structure before. Shortly after the February accident, Caltrans announced that crews would immediately begin replacing a total of 31 joints on the upper deck of the structure, with a mid-summer completion, before replacing another 30 joints on the lower deck later in the year. According to Vince Jacala, a public affairs officer for Caltrans in nearby Oakland, contractors were dispatched to the site to perform a temporary joint repair, while also starting an emergency project to replace the broken bridge joint entirely.
Rainy weather in late February and into March, though, delayed the start of concrete work on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge, but crews were able to make up for lost time and have stayed on track to finish the construction in July, as originally planned.
For the emergency fix, an average of three full crews are working to install and weld the new joints onto the bridge. Light towers also are on hand to allow them to do their nighttime work, ably assisted by Kubota SSV75 skid steers to haul materials to where they're needed.
The sliding plate joints are made up of a large "C" channel cast into each side of the concrete deck joint with a steel plate welded to the top of one of the "C" channels. These joints are designed for thermal expansion and contraction — a key engineering feature for any bridge in San Francisco Bay where winds and temperature changes are capricious.
After the last joint was replaced, there was still some work remaining. Rubber seals required placement on the last remaining joints.
Sometime in crews will replace 30 of 31 joints on the lower deck, along with the surrounding concrete, as part of a larger rehabilitation project that will include painting and other work. That project has not yet been put out to bid and is expected to take three to five years. In August , it was reported that Caltrans has completed joint replacement work on the Richmond-San Raphael Bridge, more than six months after chunks of the aging structure fell into traffic.
Each of the 31 joints that date back to the s has been replaced by a new concrete joint with a rubberized seal designed to shrink and expand with changing temperatures, according to Caltrans officials. The new joints should prevent cracking of the surrounding concrete road deck. Next year, Caltrans will replace 30 joints on the lower deck of the bridge in conjunction with a bridge painting contract.
Caltrans plans to repaint the lower deck and towers to protect the steel and replace 30 expansion joints on the lower deck. The joints allow the bridge to adjust to changes in temperature and vibrations.
This work follows a recently completed, multi-million emergency project that replaced 31 of the expansion joints on the upper deck. Structural issues surrounding an expansion joint were found to have caused at least two incidents of concrete falling on the lower deck between February and April.
The truss was impacted by a large truck and will be straightened and strengthened over September and October The truss repair will be followed by the installation of a movable barrier system on the upper deck shoulder to create a bicycle-pedestrian path. The path is scheduled to open later in Drivers must pay with FasTrak only. For those without FasTrak, cameras will capture your license plate and you'll get a bill in the mall.
The commission said it will save drivers time and the agency money. Drivers won't have to slow down to squeeze through a toll booth. Toll booths will be removed. The commission anticipates realistically it could take up to five years for the system to go into effect. The Carquinez Bridge will likely be the first to go cashless. MTC said engineers say it's a good test bed to move faster on the others. The Bay Bridge will be likely be last since it's the busiest.
The toll authority first authorized the move to all-electronic, open road tolling in December These award savings were subsequently de-allocated by the Commission at its May meeting.
The construction contract was awarded in November and construction began in December Although the construction contract acceptance CCA milestone is scheduled for March , it is anticipated that all the major construction activities will be completed and the facility opened to traffic by October The project is located on a site that was originally on the edge of the San Francisco Bay and currently sits atop an abandoned railroad alignment.
These factors added to the risks associated with differing sub-surface conditions. Furthermore, the project location also experiences heavy pedestrian and bicycle traffic that comes from a disadvantaged community adjacent to the project site and also from a number of critical crossroads of regional and local traffic access to Route It was noted that fixing the was part of local discussions in , when transportation leaders were working on improvements for the US -Sir Francis Drake Boulevard interchange.
However, that plan imploded politically and money earmarked for freeway improvements was diverted to the new bike bridge over Drake and to the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit train and path to Larkspur.
The plan ran into trouble because it sought to improve traffic problems in both directions on US The proposed southbound improvements called for significant construction that went beyond what the leadership could support. The editorial noted that the prevalent public complaint has been about the northbound direction, which should have been the priority.
However, a new northbound connector will also require extensive construction. Both involve exiting the freeway and passing through city streets before getting onto I The lack of a direct freeway-to-freeway connector from northbound US to eastbound I helps vex an already troublesome northbound traffic pattern in Marin during the evening commute.
In and , Bay Area voters approved Regional Measures 1 and 2, which increased tolls on state bridges for transportation projects. Under the plan, the traffic lane would be opened late next year. While opening the lane may sound simple, under state and federal rules environmental analysis is required. In addition, new signs will have to go on the span and a retaining wall on the Contra Costa County side must be set back to create added space for cars heading off the span.
The third lane on the bridge would be open to motorists during the weekday evening commute. Project elements include reconfiguring the Main Street on-ramp from the San Quentin Village area with a retaining wall to improve the traffic merge with the new lane, and replacing pavement on the bridge approaches to accommodate heavier traffic loads, according to the commission.
In February , it was reported that discussions on building a connector in San Rafael from northbound US to eastbound I are underway and could get funding from a toll hike being considered by regional transportation officials.
Both involve exiting the freeway and passing through city streets before getting on I The lack of a direct freeway-to-freeway connector from northbound US to eastbound I exacerbates the troublesome northbound traffic in Marin during the evening commute. Three preliminary options have been developed:. All options would have three lanes onto I All are proposed for San Rafael, with other areas deemed too expensive.
The connector is one being looked at. The regional toll measure is being considered for the ballot. Measure AA funds will pay for the contract. Fremier has a record with TAM, having managed one of its past projects. Construction is not expected to occur until In December , it was reported that transportation officials in Marin are preparing to begin the environmental review process for a project that aims to ease commute traffic with a connector ramp between US and eastbound I The project, which the Transportation Authority of Marin authorized last year, calls for building a partially raised ramp to relieve the congestion that backs up as drivers traverse city streets to access I Transportation officials aim to begin an environmental review for the project in and complete it by There are outlined several project design options that the San Rafael City Council are considering.
Additional funding would need to be allocated for the project before construction begins. Two of the preliminary designs show a connector veering off US just past the Sir Francis Drake offramp and traveling east around Marin Sanitary Service. One would veer around the south side of Central Marin Sanitation Agency and the other around the north side. In the other designs, cars exit US farther north, near the Bellam Boulevard offramp, and travel parallel to Francisco Boulevard West.
They would vary in height, with the tallest reaching feet. In February , it was reported that the Transportation Authority of Marin TAM had started the planning and environmental phase of a proposed project to construct a direct highway connection from northbound US to eastbound I in Marin County. The proposed project will allow vehicles to continue along US northbound onto a new highway connector in San Rafael and merge directly onto I eastbound toward the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
TAM will complete the environmental analysis to evaluate options and work with the community and stakeholders to select a preferred alternative. Regional Measure 3, approved by Bay Area voters in , is a key source of funding for the proposed project. In July , it was reported that San Rafael officials are expressing reservations about emerging plans to build a connector between US and I The connector plan, still in the early stages of development, would link the two freeways for direct access to the bridge.
Nine potential project routes are on the table, several of which could impact the city. Anne Richman, the executive director of TAM, said the project does not propose closing the busy Sir Francis Drake Boulevard corridor, although some proposed route alternatives could impact the onramp or require reconstruction.
However, the city emphasized that future changes to the corridor and different traffic alignments could have a big effect on the city. Guerin and city consultant Barry Miller reviewed objectives for the city, including net benefit to neighborhoods, mobility, economic investment, improved safety for travelers, aesthetics, design for the future and efficiency, feeling that there was a broader range of options that could be thought about. They were opened in , extended in , and were closed through Richmond by February It opened in October It requires three or more occupants two for two-seater vehicles and operates during rush hour.
Knox Freeway ". John J. John T. Knox was born in Sept. He set up a private law practice in Richmond soon thereafter. He joined the Assembly in November , after a special election to replace S. Masterson, who had resigned. He represented District 11, which at that time represented most of West Contra Costa as well as parts of Orinda and other areas east of the Caldecott Tunnel.
He was elected Assembly speaker for the first time in January , and was re-elected each of the following three years, retiring in He served as the Assembly speaker pro tem for the last four years of that time.
Because of CEQA,state and local agencies are required to identify and mitigate significant environmental impacts of development, construction or other actions. There also was the Knox-NisbetAct of , which helped establish Local Agency Formation Commissions through which cities now annex new lands.
Knox Freeway. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 50, Chapter 78 in Bridge CC It was built in It was officially renamed the " John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge " in John F. McCarthy served in the California Senate representing Marin from to , and was a former Republican Senate majority leader,.
Not only did McCarthy sponsor the bill authorizing the construction of the bridge, he was instrumental in the creation of BART. McCarthy and Arthur H. Renamed by Senate Concurrent Resolution 19, Chapter 76 in Approved as chargeable interstate in April ; originally numbered as I- ; the portion between Castro Street in Richmond and Route is a non-chargeable mileage. Route Route Maintained by: Daniel P. This is a floating closed javascript menu. California Highways: www.
General No general items. The overall project is proposed to be split into three segments. Under this alternative, the WB I- 80 to EB I connector would be lowered 1 foot 9 inches to achieve the Caltrans standard clearance of 16 feet 6 inches. The segment of this connector that would need to be lowered is approximately feet long.
This same connector also has a vertical clearance of 15 feet 6 inches below the EB I- 80 to EB I connector and would need to be lowered 1 foot to achieve the Caltrans clearance standard. The segment of this connector that would need to be lowered is approximately 1, feet long. The segment of this connector that would need to be raised is approximately feet long. This segment of the connector that would need to be raised is approximately feet long. Both connectors would be slowly raised until the desired clearance is achieved.
The existing deck of this connector would be repaved under this alternative. For this alternative the connector dimensions would not change as the structure is not being rebuilt. Approximately 2, linear feet of this connector would be rebuilt to achieve the Caltrans clearance standard of 16 feet 6 inches.
Approximately 2, linear feet of this connector would be rebuilt to achieve the Caltrans clearance standard. The rebuilt connectors would each be 60 feet wide and would consist of three foot-wide lanes, two foot-wide shoulders, and two 2-foot-wide bridge railings. Rebuilding the connectors would result in 1. The design, color, and aesthetic treatment for the new connectors and support columns would match the existing connectors and columns so as to be visually compatible and consistent with the existing structures.
Approximately linear feet of the EB I- 80 to EB I connector bridge deck would be reconstructed to reduce the thickness of the deck to 3 feet 6 inches to achieve the Caltrans clearance standard of 16 feet 6 inches. To achieve the Caltrans clearance standard, the existing profile grade would be raised approximately 9 inches.
Additionally, the thickness of the deck would be reduced from 4 feet 6 inches to 3 feet 6 inches. Approximately linear feet of the bridge deck of this connector would be reconstructed to achieve the Caltrans clearance standard.
For this alternative the connector width would not change. Drivers would travel at highway speeds. Some bridges along the route would be up to 60 feet tall. It would be no more than 32 feet tall. The sharp turn involved would limit speeds to between 25 and 35 mph. The study concluded that, from a traffic engineering standpoint, there was no strong evidence either to retain or to terminate the truck ban.
So the truck ban was retained. According to the report, two factors justified retaining the ban: 1 the longstanding ban of trucks in the area, and 2 no hardship or added cost would result in the diversion of "through" trucks at this location.
The report recommended the approval of the truck ban be extended indefinitely. However, the Department intended to review the operations of the alternate routes, and , periodically to determine the desirability of continuing the ban. Oakland residents complained to their elected representatives.
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