The question below about general information on the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake made me recall something that I myself have been wondering recently.

Does anyone know exactly which panel of the Bay Bridge it was that fell apart during the quake? Is there perhaps an odometer-reading someone knows to describe where it is? Is there a memorial plaque there along the side of the road for those who died?

I was 12½ when the quake hit and I vividly remember it shaking the whole house in San Rafael. My parents were up in Santa Rosa but I got my little brother and myself somewhere safe, checked for gas leaks afterwards, got out emergency supplies, etc., and then saw all the destruction on TV.

Scott Trimble,
Northern California Movies


-- Scott Trimble (stst@stst.net), February 07, 2001

Answers

Scott, This may not be exactly what you are looking for, but will help: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/calbrdgs.htm

They may know where to find information.

Good luck, Wolfgang

-- Wolfgang Schubert (chouby@aol.com), February 09, 2001.

As you leave the toll plaza and ascend the cantilever portion of the bridge, the panel that fell during the quake is the last one prior to the beginning of the overhead superstructure of the upper deck.

-- Rich Harned (rharned@jps.net), March 11, 2001.

As it was mentioned before, it is the section right before the overhead trusses begin on the bridge. It is easy to detect because the pavement is of a different type (cement?) from the rest of the asphalt bridge deck.

-- Josh (josh@titan-project.org), March 14, 2001.