You know all the urgent track maintenance BART has been talking about that has to get done? Well, now the transit agency is announcing that it will be shutting down all service between San Francisco and the East Bay over this year's Labor Day Weekend, as well as the weekend prior. As Matier and Ross report, this shutdown is necessary due to some major track work that to occur near West Oakland Station, just outside the Transbay Tube.

The system will be hobbled, with trains running only within SF and within the East Bay, both on the weekend of August 1-2, and over Labor Day, September 5-7, with BART spokesperson Alicia Trost now saying these dates are not quite "set in stone." During these weekends, a "bus bridge" will be set up to ferry people between West Oakland and downtown SF — and it should be noted that there's a Billy Joel concert set for Saturday, September 5 at AT&T Park.

This shutdown comes in addition to the multiple weekend shutdowns of service between Coliseum and Fruitvale Stations that are already ongoing, and expected to last through summer, due to track work happening there.

The 43-year-old BART system is, basically, falling apart in multiple places right now, and BART has budgeted $20 million this year (and $30 million every year going forward) for track upgrades and maintenance.

Related: BART's Track Maintenance Problems Way Bigger Than Previously Reported
East Bay BART Riders Traveling Past Fruitvale Will Be Screwed Through Spring And Summer