Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza Clock Returns as Seismic Work Nears Completion

The following was submitted for publication by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District:

Seven months after it began, the $2 million Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza seismic retrofit project is almost complete.

Toll booth #3 re-opened Thursday morning, after being closed for the past month as the final booth to be retrofitted. The much-loved art deco clock was set to come back Friday night…but it’ll be missing its hands and distinctive neon numbers for two more weeks.

The clock installation work Friday was similar to its removal last August, in reverse. A truck was slated to take the clock to the road, and a crane was set to lift it onto the roof, where crews secured it back in its original location.

The clock has been completely refurbished. The Bridge District’s electrical department removed the clock motor, gear box, all electrical wiring and neon tubes, including the neon tube connectors and mounting brackets. (The numbers on the face of the clock are painted decals covered by neon. The neon gives the clock its retro look.) The District’s body and fender mechanic then stripped both the clock and mounting base down to bare metal. Painters then prepped, primed, and repainted the clock and base with several coats of a high quality polyurethane paint. They also applied brand new number decals on the clock face.

“We shipped the clock gear box, hands, and electric motor back to the original manufacturer for a complete rebuild,” says Kevin Raddatz, Electrical Superintendent. “We have now reinstalled the rebuilt clock mechanism, installed new neon tube connectors, and the neon mounting brackets. The clock looks better than new!”

Crews will work over the next couple of weeks to wrap up the retrofit of the toll plaza roof, including the installation of the electrical conduits, necessary to run the clock. Once complete, the clock’s hands and neon numbers will be put back in place, and the clock will start tick, tick, ticking once again.

(Image via Shutterstock)