The closing of the Bay Bridge begins tonight at 8 p.m., as crews begin to complete additional work on the new eastern span so that it can be opened to the driving public.
Highway Patrol officers will be running traffic breaks on the bridge to stop vehicles from crossing, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Sam Morgan.
The new eastern span is scheduled to be open by 5 a.m. on Tuesday. But it could open sooner id the work is done ahead of schedule, said Metropolitan Transportation Commission spokesman John Goodwin.
BART will be running longer trains and offering 24-hour service at more than a dozen stations during the closure of the Bay Bridge.
During previous Bay Bridge closures, BART trains carried 30 percent more passengers than usual. BART officials are expecting another increase in ridership.
According to Bay City News, BART spokesman Jim Allison said, "People should do a little research and load up their Clipper Card ahead of time so they don't have to wait in line to buy tickets because we expect very busy ridership days" when the bridge is closed, especially on Thursday and Friday.
Traffic will also increase on other Bay Area bridges so drivers should expect delays, says CHP.
"Allowing yourself additional time to get to your destination would be a wise thing to do," Morgan said.
Golden Gate Ferry service is being boosted this Labor Day weekend from Larkspur and Sausalito into San Francisco, and San Francisco Bay Ferry is adding ferries between the East Bay and San Francisco, according to Bay City News.
Alameda-Contra Costa Transit buses that normally take riders across the bridge will instead go to the MacArthur, Oakland Coliseum, West Oakland and North Berkeley BART stations, agency officials said.
To learn about all the options for getting around the closure, call 511 or visit alert.511.org.
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