The Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) announced results of initial inspections to steel beams at the Salesforce Transit Center and efforts underway to open Fremont Street and the transit center as soon as safely possible.

Salesforce Transit Center was temporarily closed Wednesday after a fissure in one of the steel beams in the ceiling of the third level Bus Deck near Fremont Street was discovered. Out of an abundance of caution, the TJPA, after conferring with design engineers and contractors, temporarily closed the transit center as the agency worked with Webcor/Obayashi and structural engineers Thornton Tomasetti to investigate and conduct an exhaustive inspection of all similarly designed locations throughout the center.

“I would like to assure the public, this is a localized issue within the transit center and there is no impact to any adjacent properties. Additionally, our current analysis shows that this is contained within the Fremont Street area. The safety of everyone who visits the Salesforce Transit Center is our highest priority and we will work expeditiously to address and rectify this situation,” said Mark Zabaneh, Executive Director of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority in a statement.

Inspections showed an additional fissure on an adjacent beam at the Fremont Street location. The TJPA will conduct additional ultrasonic testing at this location to determine the extent of the damage. Inspections on First Street where similar designs exist show no similar issues but the TJPA will continue to monitor and test this location.

TJPA engineers and contractors are developing a shoring plan for the Fremont Street location to relieve loading on the beams in question to prevent further damage. The team will first address opening Fremont Street as soon as safely possible and then bus operations will follow. The TJPA will then design a permanent repair and schedule construction to make those repairs.

Transit impacts will continue at least through next week.