Located in northern California, it crosses the San Joaquin River-Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel, linking Antioch in Contra Costa County with Sherman Island in southern Sacramento County, near Rio Vista.
[2] The current bridge was completed 47 years ago in 1978, is 1.8 miles (2.9 km) in length, and opened to traffic that December.
Heavy traffic could cross it at no more than 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), and its narrow shipping channel led to collisions with freighters in 1958, 1963, and 1970.
[8] Desmond believed that by purchasing the bridge, tolls could be eliminated, which would spur economic growth.
The bill cited the recent extended disruptions in bridge service from marine traffic damage as well as flooding of the approaches.
During peak traffic hours on weekdays between 5:00 am and 10:00 am, and between 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm, carpool vehicles carrying three or more people, clean air vehicles, or motorcycles may pay a discounted toll of $4 if they have FasTrak and use the designated carpool lane.
After the state took ownership, tolls were immediately reduced to thirty cents per car (equivalent to $6.52 in 2023) for up to four passengers.
Tolls were reinstated in 1978 with the completion of the new span at fifty cents per car (equivalent to $2.34 in 2023), collected northbound only.
[25] A $1 seismic retrofit surcharge was added in 1998 by the state legislature, increasing the toll to $2 (equivalent to $3.74 in 2023), originally for eight years, but since then extended to December 2037 (AB1171, October 2001).
[26] On March 2, 2004, voters approved Regional Measure 2 to fund various transportation improvement projects, raising the toll by another dollar to $3 (equivalent to $4.84 in 2023).
Caltrans administers the "second dollar" seismic surcharge, and receives some of the MTC-administered funds to perform other maintenance work on the bridges.
The Bay Area Toll Authority is made up of appointed officials put in place by various city and county governments, and is not subject to direct voter oversight.