Report: Bay Bridge bolts may not need to be replaced

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- A new report finds more than 2,000 rods and bolts on the new Bay Bridge may not need to be replaced after all.

Safety concerns were raised last year when crews found 32 cracked rods in the new span. At issue was whether to replace the remaining 2,200 bolts at a cost of roughly $6.5 billion to taxpayers. The rods anchor the main cables from the tower to the bridge deck.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a new report from the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee found the bolts would not fail if extra steps were taken to protect the galvanized steel fasteners. The committee is taking up the report on Friday.