You may have heard, this Memorial Day Weekend there is a huge celebration for the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Crissy Field, the Marina and the surrounding areas will be a big source of congestion for San Francisco.
The Golden Gate Bridge itself will be closed Sunday from 9 p.m. to just after 10 p.m. for a grand fireworks show and celebration. Huge spectacle.
As the Traffic Guy, though, another concern is a quieter bridge to the south.
Starting Friday at 10 p.m. the Dumbarton Bridge will be closed for 77 hours, reopening Tuesday at 5 a.m.
This bridge is getting its joints replaced for seismic safety. No fanfare, just a few signs lit up warning drivers to stay away.
So while we celebrate one bridge for its longevity (the GGB, the flashier one, the one that’s in all of the postcards) and we welcome the world to come and visit, we tell locals (the only ones who have even heard of the Dumbarton Bridge) to shun it.
I imagined what it must be like to be one of the “other” bridges in the Bay Area.
When you’re NOT the Bay Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge. Here’s what I imagine a correspondence between the two bridges might be regarding this contrast this holiday weekend.
May 24, 2012
Dear Golden Gate Bridge,
You may not remember me, I'm a few months older than both you and your sister, the Bay Bridge. You know my sister the San Mateo Bridge. She's younger, gets more attention from drivers and frankly, you two are a lot closer than you and I have ever been.
We always used to call you GG. You might remember me as "Dumbarton Bridge" but some claim that's not my real name. Whatever. I know people also call me "the Dumbo" and I try to take it in good spirit. It's cool.
A lot has changed since my birth in January of 1927. I experienced a kind of rebirth in 1982 when I became a new span. You could say I have the body of a 29-year-old. Ha, ha.
I am just writing to let you know I can't make your party this weekend. I'll be closed, getting major joint replacement. Even at just 29, experts were still concerned with the amount of shake in my high rise, if you know what I mean.
We all know I was the first transbay vehicular bridge but there's no denying, YOU were always the crowd fave, GG.
Take it easy and have a great celebration. I'll try to catch a glimpse of your fireworks on Sunday night.
Your friend in toll,
Dumbarton
