New Buildings Herald Transformation of Bay Bridge Toll Plaza Area

OAKLAND, Calif., May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The constant hum of traffic near the Bay Bridge toll plaza will soon be punctuated by the rattling of jackhammers and the pounding of pile drivers as San Francisco-based Swinerton Builders begins construction next month on a new 22,600-square foot toll administration building in the parking lot directly east of the existing toll administration facility. At the same time, San Leandro-based Sausal Corp. will begin work nearby on a new 10,600-square foot structure to house Caltrans' Bay Bridge tow services operations.

Swinerton's bid to construct the new toll administration building was $13.7 million, with completion slated for late 2012. Because the new building is a toll-related facility, it will be funded by the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) through the agency's toll bridge rehabilitation program. The building will be constructed to contemporary seismic standards and will house tolling operations, the electronic toll accounting system, and bridge monitoring systems for the Bay Bridge. The new building will replace the existing toll operations center, a 34,200-square foot structure that was erected in 1936. The original building, which will be demolished once the new facility is completed, poses a seismic safety risk because of its outdated design and location on liquefiable soil.

The continuing increase in electronic toll collection allowed the designer, Kansas City, Missouri-based HNTB Corp., to reduce the size of the new toll administration facility. In addition, the new building will be constructed to the Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard and will incorporate sustainable design practices, including the use of recycled materials, increased power and water efficiency, and the minimizing of construction waste. The building will be Caltrans District 4's first LEED certified facility.

Sausal Corp.'s bid to construct the new Caltrans-designed tow services building was $5.3 million. The new facility will replace the existing tow services building located west of the current toll operations center. The median area between the westbound and eastbound lanes will be landscaped under a separate contract following completion of the two new buildings.

BATA and Caltrans hired Donald MacDonald, architect of the self-anchored suspension portion of the new Bay Bridge East Span, to advise on the aesthetics of both new buildings to ensure the designs are consistent with each other and will complement the new bridge.

Caltrans owns, operates and maintains the state highway system, including seven Bay Area toll bridges. BATA, which is directed by the same policy board as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), administers toll revenues from the region's state-owned toll bridges. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

SOURCE Bay Area Toll Authority