CRASH SNARLS
TRAFFIC ON GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE. DRIVER
DISTRACTION APPEARED TO BE THE REASON FOR THE CHAIN-REACTION CRASHES
A collision involving four vehicles at the north end of
the Golden Gate Bridge Monday morning had nothing to do with the bridge’s new
movable barrier, according to the CHP.
“The barrier was not even touched,” CHP Officer Andrew
Barclay said.
The crash, just before 8 a.m., blocked one lane and
traffic stacked up heading north across the bridge. No one was injured, Barclay
said.
Monday was the first morning commuters had to see and
experience the barrier, which was installed throughout the weekend while the
bridge was closed to vehicle traffic.
Until about 8 a.m., the commute across the iconic span
was relatively smooth, according to CHP and bridge officials.
Distraction appeared to be the reason for the
chain-reaction crashes, Barclay said.
One northbound driver was looking at something in the
southbound lane and had slowed. The driver behind them did the same thing and
then ran into the back of the first vehicle. A third driver crashed into them.
They’d all stopped when a fourth driver came along and finished up the
collision.
The crashed occurred on the north end of the bridge.
The barrier work, expected to last until 4 a.m. Monday,
was completed early so traffic resumed late Sunday night across the iconic
span.
The barrier now separates opposing traffic on the
1.7-mile bridge. The idea of a movable median barrier was a conversation of
Golden Gate Bridge directors and administrators for about three decades due to
concerns regarding head-on collisions. Now a reality, drivers need to adjust to
the major bridge alteration and slightly narrower lanes.
Monday’s weather included heavy fog and a fog warning
was issued for the nearby Richmond Bridge but not the Golden Gate.