Winning bid announced for old Bay Bridge demolition

The California Department of Transportation announced that California Engineering Contractors, Inc. is the winning bidder for part of the demolition of the old east span of the Bay Bridge. The winning $69-million bid, which was the lowest of four competing proposals, was approximately 25 percent cheaper than engineers estimated.

“Today’s contract award marks significant progress toward a safe and sustainable demolition of the old bay bridge,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.

On March 4, CEC submitted the apparent lowest bid of $69,470,000, well-below the $93 million engineers estimate for the demolition. Some of the expected cost savings come from an accelerated construction method that will involve lowering deck pieces onto barges where they can be further dismantled off-site, rather than on the bridge. This method reduces the amount of time spent at the bridge location and helps remove bridge sections before birds have an opportunity to start nesting.

The contract is to remove portions of the old bridge, including five 504-foot double deck steel truss spans, fourteen 288-foot double deck steel truss spans, and removing thirteen steel towers.

Contracts for demolition of the foundations below the road, including the possibility of using controlled charges, will be identified at a later date.

Another key part of this contract is dealing with birds that seasonally nest on the old Bay Bridge. Seasonal avoidance is the contractor’s first choice for minimizing impacts on birds, which means completing key demolition work before the bird nesting season begins February 1, 2016. By limiting demolition work to the non-nesting period from September 1 to January 31, the contractor can minimize impacts on birds.

Work is currently projected to begin this Summer and conclude in 2018.