In the Works - Community Newsletter May 2020 Newsletter | Page 19

This iconic bascule bridge
connecting China Basin and
Mission Bay was designed by
Joseph Strauss and opened to the
public on May 12, 1933. Strauss
was also the chief engineer for the
Golden Gate Bridge, which began
construction earlier that year on
January 5, 1933.
Over the past 87 years, the Third
Street Bridge has undergone
some minor upgrades, including
replacement of the original timber
roadway with a steel open-grid
deck in the 1950s and the addition
of steel plates for pedestrians to
safely walk across the span in
the 1990s. But for the most part,
the historic span has retained its
original design and appearance.
A combination of age, sun
exposure, fog, tidal salt water spray
and vehicular and boat collisions
had deteriorated the paint and
steel structure of the Depressionera
bridge. A major rehabilitation
was needed to extend the life of
this vital piece of infrastructure
connecting South of Market to
the fast-growing Mission Bay
neighborhood.
American Bridge Company
performed the rehabilitation work,
which began in October 2018 and
reached substantial completion in
March 2020.
Construction activity was
sequenced in phases to allow
pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles
to continue to use the bridge for
all major events at Oracle Park and
Chase Arena. We worked closely
with the San Francisco Giants
and the Golden State Warriors to
minimize disruptions.
Previous rehabilitation work
on the bridge that involved
counterweight concrete repairs and
restoration was done by Cal State
Erectors between December 2017
and January 2018.
The most recent work included
replacing the custom open-grid
road deck and timber walkways;
replacing the corroded rivets,
steel beams and truss members;
sandblasting the entire bridge to
bare metal; and applying a fresh
coat of black paint. Additional
rehabilitation work included
retrofitting the timber fender pile
system; refurbishing the motors
and components that control
the draw span; and installing
new pedestrian and traffic safety
barriers to facilitate continued full
operability of the drawbridge for
maritime traffic to pass through
the channel.
The Third Street Bridge
Rehabilitation project recently won
the San Francisco Public Works
Project Team of the Year Award.
“We are grateful to have
partnered these past two years
with American Bridge Company
to restore this iconic San
Francisco landmark,” said Third
Street Bridge Project Manager
Jacky Ng. “There were many
unexpected challenges that came
up throughout the project and
I’m proud of our team for rising
to the occasion to complete these
vital structural renovations. I also
want to thank neighbors for their
patience and understanding during
construction. This important
project will ensure that the Lefty
O’Doul Bridge will continue to
serve San Francisco for many more
years to come.”
Additional project information can
be found here.