Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Secures $1 Billion in Additional Funding for Final Phase
Key Takeaways
- $1 billion in new funding approved to complete the final phase of the Golden Gate Bridge seismic retrofit.
- The project’s total cost now exceeds $1.8 billion, driven by post-pandemic construction inflation.
- Work begins in 2026 and will span 10 years, reinforcing the bridge’s towers, trusses, and joints.
An additional $1 billion has been allocated to complete the Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Construction Project, a decade-long effort to safeguard the San Francisco icon, which is situated just six miles from the San Andreas Fault.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District’s board authorized the new funding to offset rising construction costs and inflation-driven material price increases that have pushed the total project cost beyond the original $880 million estimate, according to The Mercury News.
Final Retrofit Phase to Begin in 2026
The final phase of the seismic retrofit will launch in early 2026 and take 10 years to complete. It will be split into two subphases.
The first subphase, referred to as “Contract 1,” will last six years, while the second phase — expected to cost $900 million — will begin immediately after and take an additional five years, The Mercury News reported.
The district approved an $864 million contract with Halmar International LLC and included a $41.3 million contingency fund for unexpected project needs. A budget increase of $141.7 million will come from district reserves, according to The Mercury News.
Upgrades to Strengthen the Bridge’s Core Structure
The retrofit will include steel plate reinforcements to the suspension bridge and its two towers, truss and floor beam strengthening, and the installation of energy dissipation devices to absorb seismic shock, SF Gate reported.
Work will start on the towers and side spans, which are less flexible than the bridge’s main span. The bridge will also see the replacement of expansion joints to improve structural movement during an earthquake, according to The Mercury News.
SF Gate reported that lane closures will occur mainly on weeknights between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. to minimize traffic impacts.
Seismic Work Decades in the Making
The retrofit program began in 1997 following the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, which prompted a vulnerability study revealing that a strong quake near the bridge could cause catastrophic structural failure, according to The Mercury News.
Between 2001 to 2014, more than $260 million in upgrades were completed, strengthening the San Francisco and Marin approaches and reducing the risk of collapse — but some sections remained vulnerable, according to The Mercury News.
The final phase, beginning in 2026, will mark the culmination of more than three decades of seismic safety work on one of the world’s most recognizable bridges.
Sources: The Mercury News, SF Gate