Richmond-San Rafael Bridge reopened [Update]

Update: Just before 8 p.m. Caltrans announced that the last lanes of the bridge were open once again. Earlier in the day Caltrans had set a 6 p.m. estimated reopening time.

Earlier in the day a Caltrans spokesperson blamed “wear and tear” from the bridge’s frequent “heavy use” for the concrete breakage.

Commuters be warned: The Richmond San-Rafael Bridge is experiencing almost a solid wall of traffic after emergency repairs forced the closure of all but one lane.

On Thursday morning the California Highway Patrol reported via social media that the bridge was closed in both directions “due to large pieces of concrete that fell from the top deck onto the lower deck.”

A few hours later CHP announced that after initial Caltrans inspections a single lane could reopen in both directions while repairs and evaluations are done on the rest of the bridge.

As the Thursday evening commute looms, “due to an abundance of caution” the rest of the bridge remains closed, and there is still no timetable on when the rest of the bridge may reopen. We will update as the situation progresses.

• CHP Marin [Facebook]