Photographs

A view of the West Span free of cars, on Saturday night. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

The toll plaza is eerily empty during the four-plus-day closure. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

The mouth of the empty Yerba Buena Island tunnel serves as a window to the West Span, which was also closed for the Labor Day weekend. (Photos: Noah Berger)

Workers use torches to detach the deck section. (Photos: Noah Berger)

(Photo: Caltrans)

(Photo: Caltrans)

Congressman George Miller (D-Martinez), Caltrans District 4 Director Bijan Sartipi and statewide Caltrans Director Randell Iwasaki observe construction progress. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

The sheared off double-deck piece of the existing East Span is now a bridge to nowhere, destined for demolition in the coming weeks. (left photo by Caltrans; right photo by Karl Nielsen)

The best view in the house was possibly from the bridge tower. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Numbers along the skids (tracks) help onlookers determine progress on the deck movement. (Photo: Noah Berger)

A crew member walks along the skids used to slide the old deck piece out of the way, and the new piece in. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

By early Saturday evening, the new deck section is in place. (Photo: Noah Berger)

The new deck section awaits final connections. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

In this view of the underbelly of the bridge taken on Sunday, the new deck piece can be seen in place. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Workers inspect the cracked eyebar that became the focal point midway through the weekend operation. (Photos: Karl Nielsen)

An engineer's hand drawing shows the crack's position within the eyebar piece. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Escorted by the CHP, a flatbed truck carrying the specially made saddle support piece makes its way to the bridge and the cracked eyebar that became evident midway through the weekend. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Two crews work in tandem to install the saddle and tension bars to relieve stress off the damaged eyebar. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

A worker climbs into the cracked eyebar to assess the damage. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

The installation of the repair saddle begins. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Workers examine the latticework of steel holding up the old East Span. (Photo: Noah Berger)

An ironworker works on the saddles intended to shore up the cracked eyebar. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Workers begin the installation of a saddle piece to brace the cracked eyebar. (Photo: Noah Berger)

(Photo: Noah Berger)

A worker cuts rebar. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Behind the scenes, a small army of Caltrans engineers monitors the operation. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Among the innovations visible to commuters come Tuesday morning: a toll booth wrapped with a FasTrak message. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

While the main event unfolded at the bypass area, a second act was under way at midnight at the other end of the East Span: demolition of the mini toll plaza. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Demolition of the "mini plaza" (Photo: Caltrans)

(Photo: Caltrans)

Caltrans Toll Bridge Deputy Program Manager Brian Maroney played a crucial role in engineering the innovative roll in/roll out process for installing the new deck piece. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Our photographer captures a peaceful moment in the otherwise hectic weekend: moonrise under the bridge. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

Above and left: The new bypass incorporates an S curve, necessitating a reduction in the speed on that section to 40 mph, down from the 50 mph allowed on the rest of the Bay Bridge. (Photos: Karl Nielsen)

The ironworkers and other craftsmen and women on the bridge are a dedicated crew, as evidenced by the wrench tattoo on this worker's arm. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

In addition to moving massive amounts of steel, crews also reinstalled utility connections. (Photo: Karl Nielsen)

At Monday press conference, MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger thanks the public for their continued patience in the face of a possible extension of the bridge closure. (Photo: Noah Berger)

Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney conducts one of a series of media updates over the weekend. (Photo: Noah Berger)

Media interest in the bridge operation is intense, drawing photographers, reporters and TV crews from near and far, including a team working on a National Geographic special. (Photo: Noah Berger)