New San Francisco Bay Bridge: built in CHINA and NOT the United States

On October 17th of 1989, at 5:04 pm (PST), the Loma Prieta Earthquake caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in the State of Fornicala, killing 63 people and injuring 3,757 people.

Some double-deck portions of the I-880 (Nimitz) freeway in Oakland collapsed down, killing 42 people. [I posted some remarkable and detailed photographs (that no others had) of another freeway incident in the Bay Area when a tanker fire absolutely melted steel -- just as it did on 9/11 -- though some people insisted that could never occur, then and now.]

The former elevated Embarcadero Freeway - SR (State Route) 480 -- was also brought down and then never replaced.

Additionally, one 50-foot section of the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge likewise collapsed, killing one person, sending them (in their car) down to the waters below (see photo). One month later, the bridge was re-opened.


The current bridge, still in use, consists of two separate decks; the upper deck moves five lanes westbound into San Francisco on I-80, and the lower deck moves five lanes eastbound into Oakland and the rest of the East Bay on I-80. I had business there just this past weekend and traveled over the bridge.


Decisions were made that, because of stability problems, the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge would be rebuilt to a large degree. It was clear that quake issues necessitated major repair or replacement for future safety and endurance. The Bay Bridge western span underwent large seismic retrofitting.

The largest project is the eastern span replacement, and is expected to be completed in 2013.

See the photo below.


But, mind you, where is it that the steel and overall fabrication for the eastern span replacement project sources?

Oh, yes: that would be CHINA.

From -- oddly enough -- the UK Telegraph:

New San Francisco bridge built in China to be shipped to US

First, China made cut-price clothes and knick-knacks. Then it learned how to make mobile phones and iPads. Now it is making a 2,050 ft-long bridge spanning the San Francisco bay.

Next month, four enormous steel skeletons, the last of the 12 segments of the bridge, will be shipped 6,500 miles from Shanghai to San Francisco before being assembled on site.

The bridge, which will connect San Francisco to Oakland on the other side of the bay, is a sign of how China has moved on from building roads and ports in Africa and the developing world and is now aggressively bidding for, and winning, major construction and engineering projects in the United States and Europe.

We couldn't build these sections in the United States? We didn't have the smelting capability? We didn't have the workers? We didn't have the industrial memory or the physical plant? What WAS it that said: America couldn't do it?

But yet: China can?

Are you beginning to understand the length, breadth and depth, America?

No; I suspect you do not. You can't be bothered to wonder about this and ask the requisite questions.

You just want your TV pablum, texting, and your Free Cheese.

You ignorant masses.

With your young futures purposely, by Leftists, uneducated and naive and isolated.

This is only one of thousands of things that will have dire US consequences.

My God, ladies and gentlemen; we can't even fabricate our own bridges.

BZ