Bay Bridge Paneling Section Falls, Kills Driver

SAN FRANCISCO — A man was killed Tuesday on the Bay Bridge when a section of paneling from an earthquake retrofitting project fell and struck his pickup truck, knotting eastbound traffic for several hours, officials said.

The accident occurred about 11:45 a.m. when the 12-by-24-foot object fell onto the pickup, said Caltrans spokesman Jeff Weiss. The driver’s name was not released.

The paneling was part of a containment structure to protect workers from lead paint that is being blasted off the western span of the bridge as part of a $200-million retrofitting project.

The accident closed all five lanes of eastbound traffic for two hours, Weiss said. Officials opened the lanes one by one throughout the afternoon. Westbound traffic was not affected.

Officials said an investigation would be conducted.