Golden Gate Bridge workers to bid farewell to job performed since 1962

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Once a new barrier system is in place on the Golden Gate Bridge, a number of workers will be transferred, or lose their jobs.

The bridge will close for 52 hours this weekend from 12:01 a.m. Saturday morning, until 4 a.m. Monday.

One byproduct of the Golden Gate Bridge's new barrier is the end of a job performed since 1962, a task repeated 70-million times without injury. It's a daredevil show enacted two, sometimes three times a day, the changing of lane cones while in the middle of on rushing traffic.

Workers had an inside name for it: plugging and pulling.

Now Griffin, who was more of a plugging guy, will be more of a driving guy as he and most others will move the new, concrete and steel barrier with a rig.

It's progress, but with a different set of skills from plugging.

"It's a little like a hole coming at you about 10 miles an hour and you gotta get it just right."

"There's quite a few guys who had what we call, 'no hitters,'" said Bill San Gregory, Chief of Bridge Services.

They went the length of the bridge and hit every hole, even at 15 miles an hour. Small, unheralded victories on a big bridge and Friday night is their last chance at glory.