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Caltrans plans to begin making repairs to damaged Bay Bridge fenders on Tuesday after an incident in which an oil tanker struck a bridge tower.

The bridge was damaged on Jan. 7 when the tanker, the Overseas Reymar, struck the easternmost pier of the West Span. There was no oil spill and no injuries aboard the 752-foot vessel, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The fender system worked as it was intended to, and the main pier sustained no damage, according to Caltrans officials.

The damage to the fender system was estimated at around $2 to $3 million, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Committee. The MTC said earlier this month that while there is money in reserve to pay for the damage, it will also try to collect money from the tanker's owner, OSG Ship
Management Inc.

Repairs to the fenders, which are made of steel and recycled plastic, are expected to take around four and a half months, Caltrans officials said. Caltrans has allocated up to $3 million for the project.

— Bay City News Service

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