The fire led to the collapse of a second interchange
from eastbound I-80 to eastbound Interstate 580 located above the first
interchange, Heat from the flames exceeded 2,750 degrees and caused
the steel beams holding up the interchange above to buckle and bolts holding
the structure together to melt, leading to the
collapse, California Department of Transportation director Will Kempton said. The
truck's driver suffered second-degree burns in the crash. Cross identified the
driver as James Mosqueda, 51, of Woodland. Authorities said closing two sections of road
that carry cars through Oakland and then east and south of the city will cause
the worst disruption for Bay Area commuters since the 1989 Loma Prieta
earthquake damaged a section of the Bay Bridge itself. Kempton said nearly
80,000 vehicles per day use the three-lane 580 ramp and the two-lane 880 ramp
through the MacArthur Maze to the Bay Bridge. State transportation officials
said 280,000 commuters take the bridge into San Francisco each day.
Sunday, 29 April 2007 23:16
Emergency Declaration With Destruction of I-80 Interchange in the Bay Area
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has now issued an emergency
declaration after an I-80 interchange connector to the Bay Bridge was hit by a
tractor trailer hauling 8,600 gallons of gasoline. The cost of the repairs will likely run into the tens of millions of dollars,
and the state is now seeking federal disaster aid. The tanker ignited after crashing into a pylon
around 3:45 a.m. Sunday on an interchange connecting westbound lanes of
Interstate 80, which includes the Bay Bridge, to southbound I-880 in Oakland.
The fire led to the collapse of a second interchange
from eastbound I-80 to eastbound Interstate 580 located above the first
interchange, Heat from the flames exceeded 2,750 degrees and caused
the steel beams holding up the interchange above to buckle and bolts holding
the structure together to melt, leading to the
collapse, California Department of Transportation director Will Kempton said. The
truck's driver suffered second-degree burns in the crash. Cross identified the
driver as James Mosqueda, 51, of Woodland. Authorities said closing two sections of road
that carry cars through Oakland and then east and south of the city will cause
the worst disruption for Bay Area commuters since the 1989 Loma Prieta
earthquake damaged a section of the Bay Bridge itself. Kempton said nearly
80,000 vehicles per day use the three-lane 580 ramp and the two-lane 880 ramp
through the MacArthur Maze to the Bay Bridge. State transportation officials
said 280,000 commuters take the bridge into San Francisco each day.
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