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Coronado Bridge
The Coronado Bridge connects the City of San Diego to Coronado, a suburb of San Diego that sits on a peninsula in the middle of San Diego Bay. I have found a lot of bad information about this iconic bridge on the web, so I decided to write something here in an attempt to dispel some myths and give accurate information.
The bridge's complete name is San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. It connects San Diego's Barrio Logan neighborhood to the southeast corner of Coronado Island (technically a peninsula).
Specifications:
2.2 miles long, including approaches
200 feet tall (road surface)
Makes a 90 degree bend over the bay
Completed in 1969
The 200 foot height of the bridge was a Navy requirement so the tallest naval vessels can pass underneath.
Some people claim the bridge is designed to float if it's knocked down in a military strike or an earthquake. This is false, and seems to come from the days of the bridge's construction. The major components were shipped by barge from San Francisco to San Diego. It was called the "floating bridge" in the media in the 1960s because of this. Part of the myth says floating wreckage could be quickly towed to the sides so Navy vessels won't become trapped in the bay.
Another myth is that the bridge was made extra long, with the bend, and also very tall, in an attempt to use up all the alotted funds. In fact, there were several reasons for its location and height that have nothing to do with increasing its cost. On the San Diego side, the bridge begins in Barrio Logan, a neighborhood with poor land values -- and low construction costs for the bridge approach. In Coronado, it joins at the streets (3rd and 4th) that run directly to and from North Island Naval Air Station, which accounts for much of the traffic on Coronado.
There was a toll for using the bridge from its completion until 2002. I t is rumored the toll is returning soon.
Links
Coronado Bridge live webcam (Start Control, camera preset: bridge)