The observation pier, constructed in 2019, stands on two pylons that supported the original San Francisco Bay Bridge near the merging of land and water. The Bay Bridge opened in 1936 as a major Bay Area transportation artery and a notable engineering achievement. On October 17, 1989, during the Loma Prieta Earthquake, a portion of the upper deck of the bridge's eastern span collapsed, underscoring the need for a new earthquake-safe eastern span. The new bridge opened in 2013 after more than 11 years of construction and $6.5 billion in spending, and Caltrans completed deconstruction of the old bridge in late 2017. Multiple agencies then chose to preserve the last two pylons and create a public observation pier at little additional cost, giving the public unique access to the Bay. The pier was planned to withstand many decades of sea level rise, and the ornamental steel at its entrance comes from the original bridge.
