FACTS AT A GLANCE

LOCATION: Interstate 80 between Contra Costa and Solano counties near Vallejo

STRUCTURE:

• Steel cantilever truss (eastbound span)
• Main cable catenary suspension (westbound span)

LENGTH:

• 0.8 miles (eastbound span)
• 0.7 miles (westbound span)

VERTICAL CLEARANCE: 148 feet

CHANNEL SPAN: 1,100 feet

TOWER HEIGHT :

• 314 feet (eastbound span)
• 420 feet (north tower of westbound span)
• 403 feet (south tower of westbound span)

OPENED:

• Original structure: May 1927
  
• Eastbound structure: November 1958
  
• Westbound Structure: November 2003

COST:

• 1927 Structure: $8 million
  
• 1958 Structure: $38 million
  
• 2003 Structure: $240 million

AUTO TOLL: $4

COLLECTION: One way, northbound in Vallejo

TRAFFIC LANES:

• 1927 structure: to be demolished
  
• 1958 structure: four lanes eastbound
  
• 2003 structure: four lanes westbound

FY 2005-06 TOTAL TOLL-PAID VEHICLES: 20,904,300

FY 2005-06 TOTAL BASE TOLLS COLLECTED: $26,666,957

The Carquinez Bridge is actually two bridges. The original crossing opened in 1927, and to accommodate the ever-increasing traffic flow on Interstate 80, in 1958 Caltrans constructed a parallel bridge to function as the eastbound span. The original span now serves westbound traffic and is the oldest structure among the region's existing toll bridges.

While the 1958 span has been strengthened under Caltrans' seismic retrofit program, the 1927 span is being replaced as part of BATA's Regional Measure 1 toll bridge program. The new replacement suspension bridge has been built just west of the existing spans, and opened to traffic in November 2003.

See also: Carquinez Bridge Replacement

See also: Seismic Retrofit Program