Update 3:50 p.m. The suspicious device found on the Treasure Island off-ramp of the Bay Bridge this afternoon has been moved, according to a California Highway Patrol spokesman. The device was found on one of the railings of the off-ramp, CHP Officer Mike Ferguson said. The exact nature of the device or object remains unclear, and Ferguson said he does not yet know whether it was found to be harmless.
Traffic across the Bay Bridge slowed to a crawl, then stopped altogether, before reopening this afternoon while police investigated a suspicious device found on the eastbound Treasure Island off-ramp, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The San Francisco Police Department's Bomb Squad was reported to be on the scene examining the device.
Bridge access was limited to allow investigators to get to the area where the device was found on the eastbound Treasure Island off-ramp, CHP spokeswoman Sgt. Diana McDermott said.
KQED's Gabriel Coan was about 50 yards from the toll plaza when all lanes were briefly closed. He reported that people got out of their cars, with some sitting on top of their cars, until a helicopter announcement instructed them to get back into their vehicles.