Federal inspectors find Bay Bridge welds safe

The Bay Bridge welding saga continues...

From SFGate.com

Welds on the Bay Bridge's new eastern span are not faulty as alleged by former welders who claimed the work was dangerously unsafe, federal authorities said Wednesday.

Private inspectors hired by the Federal Highway Administration found no evidence of shoddy, unsafe welds after conducting visual and magnetic particle tests, and cutting out sections of steel foundation work for laboratory testing, officials said.

"Everything is pointing to good welds," said Mark DeSio, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation. "We don't anticipate any problems. It's good news for us."

DeSio said federal inspectors still planned to conduct more tests to determine if any more inspections are needed, but Caltrans and its contractors were given clearance to complete the 1.5-mile-concrete skyway extending from the Oakland shores.

The FBI, the Federal Highway Administration and state Attorney General's office have been investigating allegations by former welders who said they were pressured to work too quickly and ordered to cover up substandard welds.

Read the entire article over at SFGate.com.