Vital link

摘要

Today, Bay area commuters connect from 1-80 east to I-580 east routinely, thanks to one of the fastest major highway repairs on record. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reopened the Macarthur Maze only 26 days after a massive tanker truck fire destroyed the critical section of the vital freeway hub. The fire, fueled by 8,600 gal of gasoline, melted the elevated roadway structure, which collapsed on the ramp below. The link for commerce and commuters between East Bay Area and San Francisco was gone. Drivers faced traffic jams estimated to last more than two months for cleanup and repair. With state emergency funding, Caltrans fast-tracked procedures and hired experienced contractors to work 24/7. It was critical to monitor and record the time-sensitive project using an Internet webcam, but officials also wanted to provide updated progress reports on the agency website. Caltrans chose EarthCam for the job. Within two days, the Hackensack, N.J.-based company installed its advanced wireless megapixel camera. The system provided the agency with reliable, detailed live images and high-quality time-lapse movies. The "two-month" job was completed in 26 days and has been compressed into various time-lapse movies by EarthCam for the Caltrans presentations and archives.