Why is it taking so long to reconstruct I-880 overpass?

Q In April, 2020, Caltrans took advantage of COVID-reduced traffic and reconstructed the Highway 101 overpass at San Francisco’s Alemany Circle in less than two weeks.

Caltrans hailed it as an example of how efficiently crews could work unimpeded.

Fast forward to last summer when Caltrans started reconstructing an overpass on Interstate 880 in Union City north of Decoto Road.

Construction is still underway with no end in sight.

How does one project take two weeks while another takes six months? I understand a doubling, tripling or even quadrupling of time, but six months and counting?

Would it make sense just to shut down 880 over two weekends to complete the work, instead of creating traffic congestion every single day for half a year (so far)?

— Brian Foster,

Castro Valley A The project on 880 is more extensive and includes widening the overpass.

Work should be done soon.

The work on 101 involved fixing the overpass, with little widening, and occurred when there was basically no traffic because of the pandemic. But traffic is near back to normal on 880, which is why Caltrans will not close it for any length of time. Q A questioner asked about the renewal of his license online after he forgot to send it in.

I committed the same oversight last February and did what he did.

In a few weeks, I received a new license and Real ID. This is the one good result of the pandemic.

— Dale Bartoletti,

Salinas A The DMV is now allowing many more things to be done online, helping cut down on the need to go into an office. Q Just read your snow driving article and offer a few additions.

“Mud and snow” rated tires are a compromise. Most importantly, they do not work if they do not have tread on them.

Having come up to the Sierra for 20-plus years, it amazes me to see the number of people with worn-out tires.

Encourage people to check their tread depth.

It should be 4 mm or more for driving in snow.

All you need is a quarter or a penny to test the depth of the tread.

If you’re planning to come up to the mountains often, invest in a set of dedicated snow tires and reasonably priced rims.

Traction is dramatically better and before you leave your warm, cozy garage, make sure your chains fit all your tires. — Janice Golda

Q We have a family with a teen driver. May his sister be in the car with a parent?

— Elizabeth Veazey

A Yes, new teen drivers must have a licensed adult with them when driving and the sister can then ride along.