Lefty O'Doul Bridge

The Lefty O'Doul Bridge (also known as the Third Street Bridge or China Basin Bridge) is a bascule bridge ("drawbridge") connecting the China Basin and Mission Bay neighborhoods of San Francisco, carrying Third Street across the Mission Creek Channel. It is located directly adjacent to Oracle Park.

Lefty O'Doul Bridge
The bridge as seen from Oracle Park
Coordinates37°46′36″N 122°23′24″W
CarriesCars, bicycles, pedestrians
CrossesMcCovey Cove
LocaleSan Francisco, California
Named forLefty O'Doul
Characteristics
DesignBascule bridge
No. of lanes5
History
DesignerJoseph Strauss[1]
Construction cost$640,000[2]
OpenedMay 12, 1933[1]
Statistics
TollNone
Location in California

History

The bridge opened on May 12, 1933, at a ceremony attended by mayor Angelo Joseph Rossi, having been designed by Joseph Strauss, chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge.[1] At the time, it carried pedestrians, automobiles, streetcars, and trains.[1] The bridge was renamed in 1980 in honor of the famous baseball player Lefty O'Doul.[3][4] It was retrofitted in 1999, prior to the opening of the adjacent ballpark, originally named Pacific Bell Park.[5]

Concrete counterweights for lifting the bridge

The bridge is currently undergoing a $25 million renovation, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Works. The repairs are needed "to sustain the structure’s integrity and address corrosion issues", and the project will continue into early 2020.[6]

Usage

The bridge carries five lanes of traffic. During normal conditions, the two easternmost lanes carry northbound traffic, the two westernmost lanes carry southbound traffic, and the center lane is reversible. Before, during, and after events at neighboring Oracle Park, the two easternmost lanes are closed to vehicles and used exclusively by pedestrians, while the remaining two easternmost lanes are reversible.[7]

The bridge was seen in a chase sequence in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill.[8][4]

The bridge was also a key story point in the 1973 Clint Eastwood movies Magnum Force (during the climax involving a car chase), and in The Enforcer in 1976.

The bridge was also seen in the 2015 movie San Andreas starring Dwayne Johnson and Alexandra Daddario.

The bridge will also appear in the yet to be released, 2020 movie musical Emily or Oscar, directed by Chris M. Allport.

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References
  1. "Third Street Bridge Opens". The San Francisco Examiner. May 13, 1933. p. 3. Retrieved May 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  2. "$640,000 Span Carries First Traffic". The San Francisco Examiner. May 13, 1933. p. 3. Retrieved May 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. Salter, Stephanie (August 17, 1986). "O'Doul proves S.F. never too big for its bridges". The San Francisco Examiner. p. B-1. Retrieved May 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  4. Salter, Stephanie (August 17, 1986). "O'Doul proves S.F. never too big for its bridges (cont'd)". The San Francisco Examiner. p. B-2. Retrieved May 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  5. Delgado, Ray (July 13, 1999). "Third Street drawbridge to be closed 15 weeks". The San Francisco Examiner. p. A-7. Retrieved May 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  6. Moan, Rebekah (December 16, 2018). "Third Street Bridge Rehab Continues". The Potrero View. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  7. San Francisco Board of Supervisors Resolution #73-00
  8. "A View to a Kill filming locations". Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.

Further reading
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