ORINDA, CALIFORNIA – The Caldecott Tunnel is the 925’s main connection to the City and much of the rest of the Bay Area. So when it shuts down, people notice.
Amid massive storms that hit the Bay Area over the last week, the Caldecott Tunnel briefly shut down over Christmas. And the storm damage that shut down the tunnel has yet to be fully fixed.
What happened — and when
Caltrans temporarily shut down two of the Caldecott Tunnel’s four bores on Wednesday night, December 24, after an electrical failure knocked out systems needed to safely operate the tunnel.
The shutdowns started around 7pm on Christmas Eve, with bores 1 and 3 affected. They stayed closed through Christmas day, and didn’t begin to reopen until 4pm on the 26th.
The timing was a bit of a Christmas miracle. Because most people were home with family and not heading into the city, the closures had far less impact than if they’d happened during a busy commute day.
What failed, exactly? ABC7 reported that rainwater got into the room where the transformers are, causing electrical damage. With no power for critical systems (including ventilation), Caltrans closed the affected bores.
The SF Chronicle says that the transformers are kaput. They’ll need to be replaced, which is a complex process.
Caltrans says no structural damage was found in the tunnel itself — the problem was electrical.
A Big Band Aid
As hard-working Bay Area types return to the office between now and the New Year, Caltrans says the tunnel is back up and running.
There’s a catch, though. The Caldecott is currently running on backup generators. That should keep the tunnel open for now, but it’s not a great long-term solution.
If the generators go down–or power needs to go off for repairs–bores might close again. Check out Caltrans’ Twitter for the most up to date alerts, and make sure to join our free 925 News newsletter so we can keep you updated on this developing story.
