The Final Section of the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge, 1936 This image shows the imminent completion of the original bridge - at the time an engineering marvel. A fifty-foot section (just East of this view) collapsed in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, leading to the eventual construction of the new span. Bay Bridge, Eastern Span Under Construction, March 22, 1936 The eastern portion of the Bay Bridge was, at 10,176’ long, the longest cantilever construction in the world at that time. This photo shows the last section of the span being fitted into place. original from the collection of the Oakland Public Library