The Daily Dig - Cracked Eyebar Edition

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• The Bay Bridge in SF, which sees 260,000 vehicles daily, is closed this morning after inspectors discovered a cracked support (specifically, an eyebar) over the weekend. Officials are expecting delays and a record day for area transit ridership. More pics after the jump. (AP)
• UPDATE: After 70 hours of non-stop work, repairs were completed on the Bay Bridge ahead of schedule and it opened around 7 a.m. local time this morning. (SF Chron)
• As early as this week, federal officials will start deciding how to award the $8 billion in high speed rail funds from the stimulus. Joe Szabo of the Federal Railroad Admin says there will be clear winners and a goal is not to spread the money too thin. (WSJ)
• For first time in 60 years, Florida’s population fell last year. One recent boomtown is planning to tear down an elementary school, which now doesn’t have enough students. A poor job market and the housing bust are the major culprits. (NPR)
• Last spring Joe Biden pointed to a hybrid bus factory in Minnesota as a place creating jobs because of the stimulus. Well, now that facility is laying off workers after Chicago delayed an bus order because Illinois didn’t pony up promised funds. (NYT)
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• America’s largest port, LA/Long Beach, has seen a 20% drop-off in cargo volume. A new report warns that port business won’t recover to 2006’s peak levels until 2013 or so. Meanwhile, formerly overworked longshoreman are idle and warehouses are vacant. (LA Times)
• When you hear talk about “density” or “sustainable land use,” here’s a factoid to keep in mind: There are 100 million housing units in the US today, and that figure could double by 2050. Certainly, things will get messy if we keep building like we have been. (StreetsBlog DC)
• The Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program is launching a new blog (over at the New Republic) about cities. It looks wide-ranging and engaging. In one of the first posts, Rob Puentes asks “Is it a new era for infrastructure?” (The Avenue)
• Heathrow Airport has hired Alain de Botton–a guy who pens quirky books about Proust and travel–to be its official “writer in residence.” His new book will be about hanging around Heathrow (really), and 10,000 travelers will get it for free. (Flavor Pill)

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