Caltrans crews started repairing the Bay Bridge fenders on Tuesday, which were damaged on Jan. 7 when an oil tanker scraped it on its way out to sea.
The fender system - made of steel and recycled plastic - absorbed the impact, as it was designed to do, Caltrans said, and the main pier sustained no structural damage.
Still, Caltrans budgeted up to $3 million for the project, which is expected to last about four and a half months.
The tanker was cleared to go to sail on Jan. 11, and the federal investigation why the bar pilot nicked the fenders in the first place is still continuing.
Here is a video of the Coast Guard response to the tanker nicking the bridge.
