A Tale of Two Bridges: The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridges of 1936 and 2013 by Stephen D. MikesellMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I want to know more about my new state of California, and one way to learn is through its bridges. This book is about the Bay Bridge
I learned
• it is actually two spans -- one from San Francisco to Yerba Buena Island and another from the island to Oakland. Together they are the Bay Bridge.
•the Bay Bridge was completed in 1936.
•There was a reconstruction in 1963, when the rail line was removed.
•There are two levels on the bridge -- top deck westbound and bottom is eastbound.
•The bridge was damaged at Pier E-9 by the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989.
•One person was killed on the bridge when she drove the wrong way after the earthquake. (The book suggests she did not follow directions of a Caltrans worker, but her family was awarded more than $1 million in 1991-- the LA Times said officers failed to properly control traffic. Mikesell does not cover this aspect.)
This book is about the differences in the initial Bay Bridge construction and the rebuilding of the Yerba Buena-Oakland span after the earthquake. It's rather dry, but I loved reading all that detail.
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