After the completion of the new East Bay, Caltrans planned to demolish the nearly 2-mile long original East Span in with the requirement that the dismantling of the 77-year old span be done section-by-section, in roughly the reverse order of how it was built in the mid-1930s.

The first phase of the demolition process involved cutting the cantilever section at its center and then dismantling both sides. They also demolished the temporary bypass known as the S-Curve. The first phase was completed in 2015.

In August of 2014, Caltrans issued a Request for Proposal for the demolition of the truss span east of the cantilever. This section consists of five 504 ft. truss sections stretched approximately one half mile, followed by fourteen 288 ft. foot truss sections extending three quarters of a mile, towards the Oakland shoreline totaling more than 100 million pounds of steel. Caltrans requirement for the bid included the following:

• Perform a complete 3-D structural computer analysis evaluation of the trusses for the planned removal procedure. The analysis must include a 3-D erection analysis to determine locked-in forces in truss members and a 3-D dismantling analysis.
• Prepare drawing of planned removal procedure that are comprehensive as possible to demonstrate a clear plan for removal.

OPAC was engaged by the contractor (Shimmick Construction Company) to provide the following engineering services to support their bid:

• Prepare demolition method proposal.
• Develop demolition sequence, procedure and construction load.?
• Perform 3-D stage-by-stage demolition analysis.
• Develop and prepare demolition drawings.