Crack Found in Bay Bridge Postpones Its Reopening

The bridge has been shut to traffic since Thursday night as part of a project to retrofit its eastern section, a portion of which collapsed during the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

That work, which involved replacing a 300-foot span with a detour, was finished on schedule. But during a routine inspection on Saturday, workers discovered an unrelated crack in a circular link, known as an eyebar, also on the eastern span. Workers toiled all day Monday to make repairs, but more time was needed, said Randy Iwasaki, the director of the California Department of Transportation.

“We’re going to need your patience for one more day,” he said. The new target for the reopening of the bridge, which connects San Francisco and the western peninsula to Oakland and suburban communities to the east, is Wednesday at 5 a.m., a full 24 hours later than expected.