Major San Francisco Bay bridge closed after pieces of concrete fall onto roadway

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge over San Francisco Bay was shut down in both directions Thursday after football-sized chunks of concrete fell from the upper deck of the bridge onto the lower deck, authorities said.

A driver called 911 around 10:30 a.m. to report that pieces of concrete had struck a car, California Highway Patrol Officer Andrew Barclay said. The driver said the vehicle was damaged, but the traveler was on the way to the airport and kept on driving, Barclay said.

Westbound traffic to Marin County travels on the bridge’s upper deck, while eastbound vehicles to Contra Costa County travel on the lower deck. Traffic was stopped in both directions after CHP officers saw that vibrations from vehicles on the upper deck were causing more chunks of concrete to fall onto the roadway below, Barclay said.

Caltrans crews were on their way to inspect the bridge, he said.

There was no estimated time for when the span will reopen.

Many motorists on Interstate 580 use the bridge to travel from Richmond in the East Bay to San Rafael in the north.

The bridge was completed in 1956, according to Caltrans.

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