It was reported at the end of last week that the Govenator rejected the suspension design for the eastern span of the Bay Bridge, opting instead for a skyway design not unlike the San Mateo and Dumbarton bridges. That design -- which actually hasn't been designed -- would supposedly cost between $300-400 million less than the suspension bridge design. SFist thinks saving a few hundred mil against a total cost of over $5 billion is kind of penny-wise and pound-foolish (though we also understand the poker concept that you have to ignore how much you've already put into the pot when deciding whether to stay in till the end of the hand).

In addition, State Senator Don Perata has reportedly worried aloud that paying for a new design will reduce the supposed savings, and changing plans at this time could add even greater delays to a project that was originally slated to be finished this year. The current projected completion date is 2010.

It's important to note that the state legislature has to approve the change, so whip out those emails to your California state representatives if you want to weigh in on the issue.

Rendering of proposed suspension design from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission website