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In fact, there are two Navy bases that would be affected by a collapse of the Coronado Bridge. The first would be 32nd Street N.A.S., which is the home for Amphibious Group 3 (lots of ships, including U.S.S. Tarawa (LHA-1) on which I have proudly served). The other is the Amphib training base across the channel, near the Hotel Del Coronado.

On the other hand, there would be at least two Navy bases in San Diego Bay not affected: North Island N.A.S. (where the full-sized nuclear carriers moor), and the Point Loma sub base.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but isn't the Coronado Bridge at least a mile long? Are we assuming a total collapse of the bridge? One of these bridges is a huge target. IMO, a terrorist attack would be highly successful if it took out one small section. Looks to me like there'd be plenty of room for ships to go under, even in a worst-case scenario.

The Coronado bridge is 2.12-mile (11,179-foot) across. The vertical height is only 200ft. It was constructed in 1967, opened in 1969. Cost $50 million.

Its distinctive towers and graceful curve brought it the "Most Beautiful Bridge" Award of Merit from the American Institute of Steel Construction in 1970.

Please note: Coronado ISLAND is really a penninsula.

From the City of Coronado's website: Beginning at the specially designed toll plaza in Coronado, the traffic ascends at a 4.67 percent grade, curving 80 degrees toward San Diego. Clusters of submerged piles support the 30 mission-arch shaped curving 90 degrees toward San Diego. Clusters of submerged piles support the 30 mission-arch shaped concrete piers. The 54-inch diameter piles were driven and jetted to depths of 100 feet in the Bay's bottom.

All of the braces and stiffeners for the bridge are inside the box girder, providing the slender super-structure with a smooth exterior. The 34-inch high barrier railing is safety designed to redirect vehicles back onto the roadway with little or no damage, and low enough to permit an unobstructed view while crossing the bridge.

The center lane of the five-lane roadway is reserved as a safety median and a reversible lane to provide three lanes of peak-hour traffic.