Richmond-San Rafael Bridge West Trestle Replacement

The Richmond-San Rafael Toll Bridge, spanning the northern end of San Francisco Bay, is undergoing extensive earthquake upgrading and retrofitting. The West Trestle spans of the bridge represent 2.0 km of the total 6.75-km total bridge length. The low-lying overwater trestle connects the main bridge structure to the west abutments at Point San Quentin. This paper discusses the technical features of the West Trestle reconstruction that uses innovative design and construction methods to replace the trestle on the same alignment as the existing structure, while traffic is maintained in all lanes during commute hours. Special methods used include staged foundation construction and full-width, span-by-span deck erection using prestressed concrete double-tee girders.