MACARTHUR MAZE DOCUMENTED I-580 / 880 Emergency Repair Date Posted : 08/11/2007 GAAS:393:07 For Immediate Release: Monday, May 21, 2007 Contact: Aaron McLear Sabrina Demayo Lockhart 916-445-4571 Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces MacArthur Maze to be Repaired, Reopened on Friday Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced that the repairs to the MacArthur Maze will be completed Thursday night and the freeway will reopen for the Friday morning commute. "Thanks to hard, around-the-clock work of Caltrans and C.C. Myers, our local partners and businesses, Bay Area motorists can once again travel through this busy interchange," said Gov. Schwarzenegger. "Just in time for the holiday weekend, this roadway will be open in 26 days from when the accident occurred." At 3:42 a.m. on Sunday, April 29, a gasoline tanker traveling on westbound 80 to southbound 880 toward San Jose overturned and caught fire. The intense heat caused the steel frame of the freeway to soften, and the eastbound 580 connector above collapsed onto the 880 connector, closing two major arterials in the interchange. The Governor issued an emergency declaration on April 29 in order to begin immediate repair and replacement of the interchange in Emeryville. This declaration streamlined public contracting and permitting codes and provided emergency funding to allow repair operations to begin immediately. The emergency declaration also authorized funding to provide free transit services in the Bay Area for Monday, April 30. The Governor toured the site that Sunday and thanked the California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and local elected leaders for their immediate response to the closure. He also thanked the Red Cross and Salvation Army for their emergency response support and food provisions to workers in the field. Cleveland Wrecking Company began immediately to demolish the damaged section of freeway, and with the help of ACC-West Coast the southbound 880 re-opened on May 7. Working very closely and cooperatively, Caltrans and the contractor, C.C. Myers, steel suppliers from Pennsylvania and Texas, fabricators in Arizona and Tracy, California, have worked around the clock, seven days a week to rebuild this section of freeway and restore mobility for Bay Area motorists. "I am tremendously proud of CalTrans Director Will Kempton and the whole CalTrans team. They proved that in an emergency, this agency can get the job done. I also want to thank the people of West Oakland for their patience and support during this difficult process," said Gov. Schwarzenegger. MAZE MELTDOWN Date Posted : 08/11/2007 Contractor praises others' I-580 efforts, San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/18/BAGEIPTFEB1.DTL Updated news story: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/15/BAG18PRIU59.DTL First piece of I-580 ramp to be installed tonight Article by Erik N. Nelson, Inside Bay Area http://www.insidebayarea.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=5899559&siteId=181 Caltrans will be closing the ramp connecting westbound Interstate 80 with southbound Interstate 880 Tuesday night. Click here for more information. CC Myers, Inc. has been awarded the contract to rebuild the I-580 highway overpass by Caltrans after the fiery tanker accident April 29. To read any of the many stories regarding this, please click on the links below: San Francisco Chronicle (The SFGate.com) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/05/08/MNGH0PMVIT1.DTL CBS 13/31 (The CW) View the video news story at: http://cbs13.com/video/?id=20293@kovr.dayport.com For details about this project click here This half-hour special, produced and directed by the Emmy Award winning producer of "The Bridge So Far," David L. Brown, tells the story of the Maze reconstruction from the perspectives of all the main players in this drama. In addition to interviews, Amazing includes a wide veriety of news and archival footage of the entire 26-day process from the fire that melted and collapsed the structure, through the opening ceremony. For more information on this documentary, including purchase information, film clips, and photos, visit www.amazingmaze.org