San Rafael Bridge

Seismic retrofit of 4.5-mile-long bridge with two spans across shipping channels; represents the longest steel bridge in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Originally completed in 1956, the Richmond-San Rafael is more than 4.5 miles long. The four-year rehab project was the most complex single retrofit program ever attempted by Caltrans. Among the many tasks were strengthening the piers, and installing "viscous dampers" — essentially, massive shock absorbers. Despite the many challenges, the project came in $136 million dollars under budget.