A Caltrans contractor is scheduled Tuesday night to begin replacing a damaged expansion joint on the upper deck of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the source of falling concrete that shut down the span on Feb. 7 and led to traffic tie-ups throughout the central Bay Area.
Crews plan to work on the replacement project overnight from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., Mondays through Saturdays. Only one lane of traffic will be open in each direction during the repair, which is expected to take up to two weeks, weather permitting.
"The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge remains safe," said Caltrans District 4 Director Tony Tavares in a statement. "Caltrans is committed to safety while maintaining connectivity to this thriving region in the Bay Area."
Caltrans has hired Berkeley-based contractor O.C. Jones and Sons, the same contractor that built the third eastbound lane on the bridge, for the replacement project at an estimated cost of $300,000.
The bridge was closed late on the morning on Feb. 7 after a chunk of concrete, described as football-sized or basketball-sized, fell and struck a car traveling on the span's eastbound lower deck.