In the Aftermath of the MacArthur Maze Meltdown

Breaking news in the early morning hours this past Sunday and riveting pictures of the dramatic tanker fire and freeway collapse brought new attention to the East Bay .  In the immediate aftermath, state, county and city officials responded quickly this week to the MacArthur Maze collapse, and commuters have valiantly adjusted to the circumstances.  This is a time to recall lessons learned in the aftermath of the collapse and reconstruction of sections of I-10 in the Los Angeles area following the Northridge earthquake in 1994.

The Northridge rebuild provides an instructive framework as we undertake the reconstruction of I-580. Through good coordination and communication, public agencies and private companies were able to repair the collapsed section of the Santa Monica Freeway in just over two months. Drawing from past experience, and using modern communication technology, government agencies and private contractors should be able to fix the MacArthur Maze quickly as well.

We know that early action was essential to a speedy recovery after the Northridge quake. Awarding contracts quickly allowed workers to begin working right away. Last weekend, Caltrans took advantage of established relationships with contractors who were already working at nearby sites. With equipment on hand, the Cleveland Wrecking Company was able to begin clearing the Maze wreckage immediately.

We have gotten off to a good start.  State, county and local cities are well positioned to support effective and efficient decision-making.  State of emergency declarations brought the impacts of the loss of this important artery into sharp focus, paved the way for emergency repairs and set the stage for assistance from the federal government.  

Our next step must be to develop a comprehensive and realistic plan. Good coordination can overcome all obstacles, from federal funding to scarcity of materials. After the Northridge earthquake, for example, government agencies established a streamlined system for bidding and contracting.  A contract to reconstruct the Northridge overpasses was obtained in just 19 days.  A well-orchestrated effort here is proving to be crucial to locate and move the necessary steel and concrete.

Effective communication is crucial for implementing the recovery plan. Agencies must communicate not only with one another and with contractors, but also with the public. Recovery means there will be construction work twenty-four hours a day, so local residents must be well-informed about what is going on. In order to carry out a complicated plan, the private and public sectors must show people how they are working together.

Also important is ensuring that, during the clean up and rebuild, no corners are cut that puts the health and safety of workers at the site or residents in the surrounding area at risk.  In Northridge, no changes to labor requirements or regulations occurred; there was no suspension of the Davis-Bacon Act, meaning that all safety and overtime rules had to be followed.  A safe job site and overtime incentives motivated workers to work long hard hours during the rebuild.  We decrease the time it takes to rebuild by utilizing a skilled workforce which has shown to speed construction time.

As we work towards reopening I-880 and rebuilding the collapsed section of I-580, we have to remain mindful that before the fire and structural collapse these ramps were an integral piece of one of the most traffic-congested sections of freeway in the country. This week, our public transportation systems alleviated the traffic nightmare that many Bay Area residents were expecting. By running extra trains, BART was able to accommodate extra riders. Buses and ferries sprung into action and reminded us how important these modes of public transit are for carrying people back and forth to work or getting them around the Bay for school or shopping.

Unfortunately, too many people who could be served well by public transportation are still opting to drive. Streets around the Maze are clogged and residents, particularly in West Oakland and Berkeley , are forced to deal with the extra noise, pollution and aggravation that are accompanying the record levels of traffic now being diverted on to our city streets. 

Assemblywoman Loni Hancock serves the 14^th Assembly District, which includes many of the cities most impacted by the I-580 collapse.  She is Chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and serves on the Housing and Community Development Committee.