Citation

Gish J. Calif. Transp. J. 2008; (1): 10-13.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, CalTrans Public Affairs Office)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

On October 12, 2007 a 31-vehicle pileup on truck bypass lanes ignited a ferocious fire inside a tunnel on the southbound Golden State Freeway in California, killing three and injuring several more. All vehicles involved in the accident were incinerated. This article describes how approximately 120 California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) workers were involved in the rebuilding of the tunnel, which was completed and opened for traffic on November 15, just one month later. The article describes how the structural maintenance crews worked 10 feet behind the firefighters, clearing the wreckage in order to assess damage while engineers began working on designs for repair. It also describes the bidding process and the contract, which contained an incentive/disincentive clause to encourage early completion.