Explaining the Bay Bridge breakdown

In October 2009, a temporary device engineers made to hold the San Francisco Bay Bridge together broke, and 500 pounds of metal fell onto the freeway. No one was injured, but it was terrifying for commuters to realize that the engineers whom they count on to keep the bridge safe had made a mistake. We wanted to know exactly what had happened, who was responsible, and what was being done to prevent future errors. So KALW made a request to see all the Caltrans documents having to do with the accident. KALW’s transportation reporter Nathanael Johnson has been reading those documents. He tells Hana Baba what he has found.

Do you feel safe when you cross the Bay Bridge? Who do you think should be held responsible for that October mishap? We'd like to know what you think--give us a call at 415-264-7106 or email us at news@kalw.org.