SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Latest on the closure of San Francisco’s new transit center (all times local):
6:10 p.m.
A San Francisco transit official says workers discovered a crack in a steel beam at the city’s celebrated new transit terminal as they installed ceiling panels.
After further inspections, Transbay Joints Power Authority Executive Director Mark Zabaneh says officials decided Tuesday to immediately close the $2.2 billion center.
Zabaneh says the crack is near a weld on a stress-bearing beam. He said he did not know how long the crack was.
Zabaneh says inspectors will be working at the building throughout the night to assess whether it is safe for people to return. He does not believe the problem is related to a sinking condominium building next door.
The center opened in August after nearly a decade of construction. Zabaneh said American steel was used for its construction.
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5 p.m.
San Francisco officials shut down the city’s $2.2 billion transit terminal Tuesday after discovering a crack in a support beam under a public roof garden.
The Salesforce Transbay Terminal opened in August after eight years of construction.
The transit hub spans three city blocks and includes a bus deck, a towering sky-lit central entrance hall and a rooftop park with an outdoor amphitheater.
Officials said Tuesday the Salesforce Transit Center will remain closed while engineers assess the damage and inspect other beams. Buses have been rerouted to a temporary terminal eight blocks away.
The terminal is managed by the Transbay Joints Power Authority. Executive director Mark Zabaneh said no other damage is suspected.
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