On one hand, it feels like the Bay Bridge has been under construction forever, but on the other, I’m still like “when did this shiny white AutoCad model get erected here?” The eastern span of the Bay Bridge was always a little less glamorous than the approach to San Francisco, but it seemed fitting I guess. The Town’s humble double-cantilever span always looked more like a companion to the old Carquinez Bridge than it did to the rest of the Bay Bridge on the San Francisco side of Yerba Buena Island. But alas, it was our humble side. Soon, that antiquated metal lattice work that supported our 3am treks back to Oakland’s taco trucks will become a relic, and soon – piece by piece – will be dismembered and relegated to memory.

Let us propose a toast to the old eastern span that has carried our cars and even our trains (shout out to The Key System!) since 1936. And let us pour out a little liquor for those who passed in the ’89 earthquake. Though only one person actually passed due to the Bay Bridge’s collapse, that collapse was emblematic of the region’s destruction and the need for earthquake retrofitting. That was ages ago, but we’re finally turning the page to a supposedly safer commute after years of delays and billions of dollars in budget overages. I hope this shiny new Self-Anchored Suspension Bridge is worth it. Enjoy the new hardware – I’ll wait a month or so to see if it holds up for yall.

Below is a an ode to the Bay Bridge written and performed by Kev Choice (from 2009) and a time lapse video of the construction of the new eastern span. I recommend muting the bootsy audio on the video and watching the timelapse while listening to Kev.

And just because, here is– what is supposedly–video of the last car to drive across the old eastern span before it was closed.