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Old Bay Bridge Pier Retention







Reimagining access to the Oakland Bay Bridge
Aging infrastructure is being transformed by the San Francisco landscape architecture studio into new public access piers in the Bay. Rather than demolishing all of the Oakland Bay Bridge footings, which once supported the original span of the bridge built in 1933, the team is repurposing four of them to create two public boardwalks in Oakland and Yerba Buena Island that will give the public access to bay waters.

The concept of upcycling the footings–rather than imploding them—first arose when Caltrans asked the AECOM Environment team if they could look into design opportunities for retaining the remnant footings. We explored several potential scenarios with various stakeholders before arriving at the preferred alternative. This iterative process was rewarded when the $40-60M construction project received the green light from both Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Supporters cited that demolition would have similar costs with no public benefit.     

The 600 foot long public access deck on the Oakland side will not only provide access over the water, but it will also have educational elements that talk about bay ecology, the history of the bridge and more. There will also be recreational elements like fitness equipment that encourage active recreation and a healthy lifestyle. This pier will also be the cornerstone of the broader Gateway Park system operated by East Bay Regional Parks District.





Flex Space

Activity Area

Outdoor Classroom

Pier Head


CONSTRUCTION

IMPLODE

CONSTRUCT SUPPORTS

POUR THE DECK

INSTALL GUARDRAILS


Location: San Francisco, California
Type: Public Space
Year: 2018
Client: Caltrans
Status: In Progress
Team: AECOM

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315-289-8203