Cracks on Bridges Over River Are Monitored

Hundreds of tiny cracks threaten the twin bridges that allow Interstate 80 to cross the Sacramento River before winding into the city, officials said.

The steel structures have suffered more than 700 fissures during the 32 years they have spanned Sacramento and Yolo counties, carrying 78,000 cars a day.

For now, the cracks are not growing, and the bridges are stable, California Department of Transportation officials said.

Engineers said that if one of the cracks does grow, it could pose a real threat, but that Caltrans officials have been monitoring the structure -- and its cracks -- closely for the last 12 years.