George --
Thanks for sharing your memories.
That CWX driver really was scared of another
quake, wasn't he?

Reminds me of yet another Bay Bridge story/memory:
The Shop Crew was abolished after some intense and
quite unwarranted political attacks on Caltrans,
and I was assigned to the Concrete Crew. (I do not
remember exactly when that was, but some time around
1995, I think.)

Work had begun on the West Span upper deck to repair some
problems, and word got to us in the Bay Bridge maintenance
crews that drivers were scared to drive on the steel plates
that had been placed over the newly-created holes in the deck.
We all got a big laugh about how scaredy-cat those otherwise
macho and aggressive drivers were acting about what was really
no big deal. But, upon further reflection, I realized that
to most drivers, steel plates on roads are no big deal to
drive on, as most drivers think there is just a small hole
under those steel plates. But on a bridge, especially one as
high above the water as the Bay Bridge is, there is nothing
but empty space under those steel plates, and the water is a
LONG way below! (c. 160 feet!)

I myself, when driving my own car on my own time, just LOVED
to drive in the middle lane on the upper deck -- the better to
get a perfect view of the symmetry of that awesome, majestic
structure. I loved to experience the majesty of the huge
angles high above me on the East Bay crossing's cantilever span.
and I also LOVED experiencing driving right under the middle of
the awesome West Span's majestic suspension towers. They were
designed to massively and impressively bestride the lanes. wow....
And they each even have a sort of crown atop them!
(Some day, when you are not driving, but are a passenger, look at
the West Span towers, and you will see what I mean.)

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge West Span is as beautiful as
the Golden Gate Bridge -- to me. She is the blue-collar lady, who
works with her hands for a living, and gets all dirty doing so, but --
when she gets cleaned up -- WOW!

The Golden Gate Bridge, on the other hand, is like movie star: she is
acknowledged by all to be beautiful. Everyone admire her. But the
Bay Bridge is usually taken for granted, and few seem to verbalize any
feelings of admiration for her beauty and majesty. But -- for one
all-too-brief moment, back in 1986, she had her turn in the limelight,
on her 50th birthday, on November 12, 1986.

There was a parade of old cars across the bridge. (Your car had to be
at least as old as the bridge), speeches, and a musical program and
fireworks that evening. She even had a huge birthday candle on the
north side of her West Span Center Anchorage (known to us workers as
"W-4"). The candle was made of rip-stop nylon. I took a picture
of it that some day I might be able to post here. I do not know what
happened to that candle.

The celebration of the Bay Bridge's 50th birthday culminated, as I
said, with music and fireworks. The Grand Finale were fireworks
that were synchronized to Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man",
one of my all-time favorite pieces of music. Wow.....just wow.....

I love that bridge, and am very, very sad that they built a new
East Span. It looks weird, and is not a fitting or worthy companion
to the present West Span. I MUCH prefer the original East Span.
Oh, well...

More later!

Margaret
(Bay Bridge fan, too! :) )