Transbay Transit Center shutdown after cracked beam discovered

SAN FRANCISCO — After a cracked steel beam supporting the rooftop garden was discovered, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority shutdown the city’s brand new $2.2 billion Transbay Transit Center, severely impacting the morning commute, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The shutdown occurred as tens of thousands of additional people make their way into the city for the annual Dreamforce tech conference put on by Salesforce. In total, the conference is expected to draw 170,000 attendees and thousands more workers.

“The safety of everyone who visits the Salesforce Transit Center is our obligation and highest priority,” said Mark Zabaneh, executive director of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, in a statement. “While this appears to be a localized issue and we have no information that suggests it is widespread, it is our duty to confirm this before we allow public access to the facility.”

The authority is working with Webcor/Obayashi and structural engineers Thornton Tomasetti to investigate and repair the issue and conduct “an exhaustive inspection of all steel beams throughout the transit center.” For the full story, click here.