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Rights Holder and Contact
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Date of Copyright
1989-11-16
Description
In the wake of the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, Caltrans commissioned an oral history project to document the personal and professional experiences of Caltrans employees who worked to restore the State's damaged transportation system. At the time of the Loma Prieta Earthquake, Dennis Gunsell, Bill Kimball and Chuck Wimer were heavy equipment operators for Caltrans at the Ettie Street Maintenance Station. At the time of the earthquake, Bill Kimball was in Pittsburg, then drove to the Walnut Creek maintenance yard, where he stayed there until he was sent to work at the Cypress Viaduct. Dennis Gunsell was called later in the evening and told to report to the Telegraph Maintenance Yard, to work on a cone truck to close lanes and divert traffic off of I-80. Chuck Wimer, came to the Ettie Street Maintenance Station right after the earthquake, and closed the Ashby off-ramp to westbound I-80. Later, he was asked to close the on-ramp to Oakland Army Base to westbound 580. Then they discuss the liquefaction they saw while doing lane closures around Highway 13, Bay Bridge, and I-80. Then they mention their concerns being at the Ettie Street Maintenance Yard, and how they were amazed that chunks of concrete in the yard missed all the trucks that were parked in the yard. Then they mention the repair work that was done around I-80 that they worked on and how it was open just a few days after the earthquake. California Audiovisual Preservation Project
Type
sound
Format
Original Audio cassette
Form/Genre
Oral histories
Extent
1 Tape of 1
Identifier
casadt_000115
Language
English
Subject
Earthquakes--California--Loma Prieta Loma Prieta Earthquake, Calif., 1989
Provenance
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) California Revealed is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
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