News stories that East Bay progressives and environmentalists shouldn’t miss:
1. Caltrans failed to properly test the giant bolts that snapped on the new Bay Bridge and ignored concerns voiced by its own engineers about the bolts five years ago, SFGate reports. If Caltrans had conducted the tests, it might have discovered that the bolts were defective. More than thirty of the big bolts broke earlier this year, but it’s too late to replace them because the bridge’s roadbed has already been installed. The bolts are considered integral in helping the new bridge withstand a major earthquake, and Caltrans has yet to decide on a plan to fix the problem.
