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The San Mateo-Hayward Bridge is a bridge crossing the San Francisco Bay, in the US, linking the San Francisco Peninsula with the East Bay. The original bridge was built in 1929. It was subsequently replaced with a modern span in 1967. The total length of the bridge is 7 miles (36,960 feet / 11,265.41 meters / 11.27 km). It is composed of multiple steel Girder Spans that make up the 'Highrise', measuring 1.9 of the total 7 miles. The other segment is made up of the Trestle portion, accounting for the remaining 5.1 miles. It is currently under extensive seismic retrofitting to withstand a powerful earthquake. The bridge carries about 81,000 cars and other vehicles each day.
Its western end is in Foster City, the most recent urban addition to the eastern edge of San Mateo. The eastern end of the bridge is in Hayward.
The bridge is signed as part of California State Highway 92, whose western terminus is at the town of Half Moon Bay on the Pacific coast. The principal function is to link Interstate 880 in the East Bay with U.S. Route 101 on the Peninsula. It is roughly parallel to and lies between the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge, and is sometimes used by commuters to avoid traffic delays due to emergencies on those bridges.
The main span over the ship channel located near the western end was built with six lanes, while the long eastern causeway was built with four lanes, two in each direction, planned for eventual expansion to six lanes. The four lane section was quickly overwhelmed by traffic and not until 2004 was the final expansion to six lanes completed, along with much needed improvements in its connections with Interstate 880 in Hayward.
Bus service over the bridge is provided by AC Transit's M transbay service.
High-voltage power lines built by PG&E parallel the bridge all the way across the bay. They provide power to the Peninsula and San Francisco.
What to Expect
With the exception of the ship channel, and the curve before it, most of the bridge is a very straight span, closer to the water than might be expected. The experience of driving over the bridge from the Hayward side into San Mateo is similar to driving over a very long causeway, followed by a large, steep hill.
The bridge is often subject to moderately high winds; combined with condensation creating a slick surface, and a certain amount of surface irregularity, these can create conditions that merit additional caution for motorcyclists.
While traffic speeds of 70 to 80 mph (110 to 130 km/h) are not uncommon (at times of low congestion), these are well above the posted speed limit, and drivers should be aware that there is a 55 mph (90 km/h) zone shortly after the ship channel, and that the bridge itself is patrolled using various aircraft. The speed limit on the bridge itself is 65 mph (100 km/h) (the only Bay Area bridge to carry such a high speed limit.) (You may also notice the occasional CalTrans helicopter low to the water, possibly inspecting the bridge.) Traffic stops on the bridge itself are uncommon but do occur. The right-hand lane is occasionally subject to traffic stops, disabled vehicles, CalTrans vehicles (occasionally used to push disabled vehicles to the end of the bridge), surface cleaning vehicles, and slow trucks. Occasionally, when the bridge is under repair, four lanes will be pushed into two lanes, and the two lanes into one lane, creating severe congestion.
As of 2005, the toll is $3, and is collected for westbound traffic only. A toll increase to $4 will happen in 2007. The bridge is owned by the state of California, and is maintained by CalTrans, the state highway agency.
External links
Bridges in California | Toll bridges in California | San Francisco Bay | Bridges completed in 1929 | Bridges completed in 1967
"San Mateo-Hayward Bridge"