Richmond–San Rafael Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Richmond–San Rafael Bridge |
|
|---|---|
The Richmond–San Rafael Bridge from its western terminus
|
|
| Coordinates | 37°56′05″N 122°26′02″W / 37.9347°N 122.4338°W |
| Carries | 5 lanes (2 WB on upper level, 2-3 EB on lower) of  I-580, bike/pedestrian |
| Crosses | San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay |
| Locale | San Rafael, California and Richmond, California |
| Official name | Richmond–San Rafael Bridge or John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge |
| Other name(s) | Richmond Bridge San Rafael Bridge |
| Named for | John F. McCarthy |
| Owner | State of California |
| Maintained by | California Department of Transportation and the Bay Area Toll Authority |
| ID number | 28 0100 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Double-Decked Dual Cantilever bridge with Pratt Truss Approach |
| Total length | 29,040 ft (5.500 mi; 8.85 km) |
| Longest span | 1,070 feet (330 m) cantilever structure |
| Number of spans | 77 in total, consisting of: 19 girder spans (west) |
| Piers in water | 70 |
| Clearance below | 185 feet (56 m) (main channel) 135 feet (41 m) (secondary channel) |
| History | |
| Designer | Norman Raab |
| Constructed by | Gerwick—Kiewit Joint Venture (substructure) Kiewit—Soda—Judson Pacific-Murphy Joint Venture (superstructure) |
| Construction begin | March 1953 |
| Construction cost | US$62,000,000 (equivalent to $667,400,000 in 2022) |
| Opened | September 1, 1956 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 66,800 (2011) 67,800 (2012) |
| Toll | Cars (westbound only) $6.00 (cash or FasTrak), $3.00 (carpools during peak hours, FasTrak only) |
The Richmond–San Rafael Bridge is a famous bridge in California, USA. It is also known as the John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge. This bridge crosses the northern part of San Francisco Bay. It connects Richmond on the east side to San Rafael on the west. The bridge opened in 1956, replacing an old ferry service. It is a key part of Interstate 580.
Contents
History of the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge
Why was a bridge needed?
People started talking about building a bridge here in the 1920s. This was even before the famous Golden Gate Bridge was finished! In 1927, two different groups wanted to build a bridge. Roy O. Long suggested a steel suspension bridge. It would be about 14,600 feet long.
Another idea came from Charles Van Damme. He ran the Richmond-San Rafael Ferry Company. His bridge would be about 19,000 feet long. Both ideas would have cost around $12 million back then. Later, in 1928, Long and Van Damme decided to work together. They wanted to build one combined bridge.
- Albany–Tiburon bridge
- Sausalito–Belvedere bridge
- San Francisco–Marin–Alameda tunnel & bridge
How was the bridge built?
Building the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge started in March 1953. It took about three years to finish. The bridge officially opened on September 1, 1956. Engineers first thought about a low bridge with special locks for ships. But they chose a high bridge instead. This was because the low bridge would have been too expensive.
The bridge was built in two main parts. One company built the underwater foundations, called the substructure. Another group built the top part of the bridge, called the superstructure. When it was finished, it was one of the longest bridges in the world!
Paying to cross the bridge
How do tolls work?
You only pay a toll when you drive westbound towards San Rafael. The toll plaza is on the Richmond side of the bridge. Since 2019, a regular car pays $6. If you have three or more people in your car during busy times, you might pay a lower price of $3. Trucks and vehicles with more axles pay more. You can pay with cash or use a special electronic device called FasTrak.
Changes in toll prices
When the bridge first opened in 1956, a car paid 75 cents. Over the years, the toll has gone up several times. This helps pay for bridge maintenance and improvements. For example, in 1988, the toll went up to $1. More increases happened to help pay for earthquake safety upgrades. In 2010, the toll for cars became $5.
In 2018, voters approved a plan to raise tolls even more. The toll went to $6 in 2019. It will go up to $7 in 2022 and $8 in 2025. This money helps fund many transportation projects in the area.
Since March 2020, you can no longer pay cash at the toll booths. All payments are now electronic. This means traffic moves faster and it's safer for workers.
Bridge improvements and features
Making the bridge safer
In 2001, the bridge started a huge project to make it stronger against earthquakes. This is called a seismic retrofit. The bridge was getting old, and some parts needed fixing. Sometimes, small pieces of concrete would even fall from the upper deck!
A big part of the work was replacing the long concrete road on the Marin side. Workers built new parts off-site. Then, huge cranes on barges lifted them into place. Most of the work happened at night to keep traffic moving during the day. Two workers sadly died during this big project. The retrofit was finished in 2005. It cost about $778 million.
Adding lanes and paths
The bridge is wide enough for three lanes of traffic in each direction. For a long time, the third lane on the lower deck was just for emergencies. The third lane on the upper deck was also a wide shoulder.
In 1977, there was a big drought. A temporary water pipeline was put in the third lane of the bridge. It carried millions of gallons of water every day! After the drought, the pipe was removed.
After a big earthquake in 1989, the third lane was opened to cars. This helped with traffic because another major bridge was closed. But it was closed again later.
Good news for bikers and walkers! In 2015, a plan was approved to turn the wide shoulder on the upper deck into a bike and pedestrian path. This path opened in November 2019. Now, people can safely bike or walk across the bridge. Also, a third eastbound lane for cars was added to the lower deck in 2018. This helps with evening traffic.
When the bridge closes
Sometimes, the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge has to close. This usually happens because of very strong winds. For example, in 2008, winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour knocked over several trucks. The bridge had to close for six hours. There have been other times when high winds caused closures, too.
In 2019, the bridge closed for several hours because concrete fell from the upper deck to the lower deck. This shows why the seismic retrofit was so important!
Images for kids
-
Vertical undulation of the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge between the two cantilever spans
-
Looking southwest from above Richmond
-
Aerial photo of the bay
-
Toll plaza at Richmond in 2006 before newest reconstruction
