Worst commute dates in Bay Area history
Jan. 19, 2017 Updated: June 5, 2017 7:45 a.m.
April 29, 2007 — MacArthur Maze collapse
Robert CampbellAn early morning, single-vehicle crash of a gas tanker led to a major headache when the resulting fire virtually melted parts of the highway overpass and caused it to collapse onto the roadway. The closure was estimated to affect 80,000 commute trips, according to estimates at the time, as BART and Caltrans looked for ways to deal with the high demand. The maze reopened after construction crews were able to complete the work within 26 days.
Aug. 31 - Sept. 3, 2007 — Bay Bridge Labor Day Weekend closure
PAUL CHINNDuring the Labor Day weekend in 2007, Caltrans closed the eastbound lanes approaching the Bay Bridge in order to demolish a 1,000 foot section of the upper deck. BART ran trains for 24 hours from the start of the bridge closure, with a noted uptick in ridership for the public transportation system and more vehicles crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, as well.
Oct. 27 - Nov. 2, 2009 — Bay Bridge emergency closure
Noah Berger/Special to The ChronicleThe Bay Bridge was forced to close after two high-strength steel rods and a crossbeam snapped. Those parts were installed during another Labor Day bridge closure a month earlier, before causing this issue. The closure at the time was considered to be the longest amount of time the bridge shut down, since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
June 14, 2012 — fire near BART's West Oakland station
Graham Linn/Special to the ChronicleAn early morning fire at a construction site near the West Oakland BART station damaged electrical and communications systems on the elevated BART tracks — and caused the cancellation of transbay service. An estimated 110,000 passengers were impacted, and the fire caused an estimated $25 million in damages.