drivers getting their first taste of the new bay bridge that happened overnight a little ahead of schedule. the drivers excited to be a part of history. right now the first morning rush is officially on. >> here is a live look with the familiar commute. beyond the toll booth lies a brand new experience for all of those drivers. from nbc bay area this is "today in the bay." >> thanks for being with us. it is 6:00. i'm marla tellez in for laura garcia-cannon. >> i'm jon kelley. let's give you a live look from the bridge from nbc chopper. this is a look at the toll plaza right now. a little backup there. mike telling us about that. we have team coverage in place. mike will be talking about the commute but we start things off with christie smith live right now at the toll plaza in oakland. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to

you. if there was ever an exciting morning commute to be stuck in i think this is pretty much it. i just got off the phone with the chp this morning and they tell me everything is looking pretty good near the eastern span pretty much like a regular tuesday morning in terms of volume, of ocourse, except for the fact that this is the first time drivers will be taking in the new eastern span. the first to get on had a chp escort as the work to connect the new span wrapped up early. it was around 10:15 last night when the first cars got to cross. some of the drivers honked and yelled excited about being able to take the trip. some waited at on ramps for hours to be among the first. earlier a dedication ceremony that had lieutenant governor newsome. 2sg among the first to cross, a petaluma man following all the construction all along. >> i have a family tradition

here. my mother and father got married here at city hall. my wife and i got married here at city hall. i love these bridges. >> reporter: there are also shoulders on this bridge unlike the old bridge. the chp of course reminding drivers that is really to be used for break downs and not for pulling over to get a good look at the tower. they want to remind you not to slow down, drive and take pictures at the same time. we have seen quite a few chp officerers out here keeping an eye on things. i want to give you a reverse look at the toll plaza out there. metering lights are on. those out here are in for a pretty exciting ride. reporting live in oakland, christie smith, "today in the bay." >> let's turn things over to mike with a bird's eye view of all of the traffic on the bridge. >> if the bird was sitting in emeryville this is what the bird would see. this is the bend.

the s curve used to be here. now folks making the gentle bend. it is a bird's eye view. backup goes back into the maze. even though it is a new span, same old backup to get across that span itself. folks will be admiring the beautiful new span itself. drive defensively. there is plenty of time to take that in safely as a passenger as you can get a ride later on in the week. we look outside on maps and see how traffic flows through the area. you see slowing down the east shore freeway. the yellow shows speeds mid 50s. nothing compared to last week when we hada/a the lanes blocke off by the commercial -- not the commercial, the construction. i'm thinking about paying the bills. as we take you down towards the east bay you have the tri valley which is starting to build, as

well. slow westbound 580. and for 84 through livermore. this is not as bad as i expected for a tuesday after labor day some folks still getting the last bit of the three-day weekend. as you cross the bay bridge watch out for other drivers who will be distracted. you will be focused on the road. >> keep your eye ont that road. even though the bridge is officially opened the new bike and pedestrian path will not open up until later on today. the opening is scheduled for noon. the path will take you just past the new tower. by 2015 bike riders and pedestrians will be able to go all the way from oakland over to treasure island. as of right now there are no plans to extend that path all the way to the san francisco water front. if you want to know more about this and what is happening to the bay bridge and beyond go to nbcbayarea.com to get complete

coverage of the bridge opening and so much more. you can find raw footage of the grand opening ceremony where they used the blow torch on the chain as well as the first cars to ride across the eastern span. we will take you live out actually on the new span of the bay bridge. bob ridell is testing the new commute driving across. he will let you know which lanes give the best view of everything going on coming up in about ten minutes. in other news now san jose's mayor plans to introduce a new proposal aimed at helping the under staffed police department dealing with an increasing homicide rate. monty francis is live at city hall with more on the plan. >> reporter: good morning to you. mayor reed's plan would add 200 more officers to the force in the next four years and restore a ten percent pay cut. the mayor is proposal this plan along with city councilman.

the officers accepted a ten percent pay cut during an economic slump to avoid layoffs. the police officers union wants the ten percent restored right away rather than gradually. union officials say if the pay cut is not restored within the next year officers will can continue to leave san jose. the mayor wants to get the number back up to about 1,200 by the year 2017. the plan calls for competitive salaries to keep officers from leaving san jose. the police officer's union says the plan is full of empty promises. the city councilu/0 is expected discuss this at 1:30 this afternoon. 6:06 right now. the rim fire which continues to burn near the reservoir, a primary water source for a major

portion of the bay area. we will be getting an update on the water quality up there. crews have been working very hard to make sure it does not spread. with the flames raging and burns all of the trees we can tell you that some ash has fallen into the water. get the latest details on water quality testing that has been done. san francisco mayor ed lee will be joining representatives of the public utilities commission to announce the findings. firefighters are close to containing the rim fire. we are waiting for a new report. at last check the fire was 70% contained. it has burned almost 236,000 acres, an area larger than the city of new york. there are still about 5,500 structures threatened but there are no mandatory evacuation orders in place at this time. >> firefighters putting themselves in harm's way doing a great job. christina loren is off. rob is in.

hoping some of the humidity helping these guys out there? >> it has especially the last two days seeing light showers at time, higher humidity levels and lower temperatures. the winds putting poor air quality. the ash from the fire still drifting northward which does take it over the reservoir and on to lake tahoe and reno. the showers that left the bay f1 o our radar is looking quiet. a big change from yesterday. this morning 50s and 60s outside. kind of a mild start. temperatures fairly comfortable. low pressure off the pacific northwest coast. high pressure desert southwest. bay area right in between the two. temperatures looking fairly comfortable this afternoon. close to 80 in san jose. 68 in san francisco. by friday high pressure is going to start to win the battle. you will see what it will do to

our seven day forecast as we get through thursday. some warming ahead. the real warming begins friday and saturday. mid to upper 90s in the valleys. mid 70s for the coast. things could get interesting as things start to dry out again heading towards the weekend. back to you. chopper is overhead looking at the bay bridge toll plaza where they have maintenance. brightly lit up there. look at the stream of lights approaching very slow on the approach. looks like a popular place. it is tuesday so we expect a lot of traffic. i think a lot of folks are driving across. as we look at our shot from you see the stream all the way up and around the bend. that is the berkeley curve. folks have slammed down on the speed. now only the lanes off to the right. the hov lanes making the bend are the clear ones. other folks getting towards

ñ coming off of the maze very slow. the map shows you the same thing as you come down through berkeley. things are bogging down just past the race track. into the city a new crash reported north 101 near the 280 interchange. it sounds like things are moving smoothly. we will watch for slowing. we will watch to see if the lanes cause a problem. 19th avenue bogged down all weekend by folks towards the golden gate bridge. it is 19th avenue that is rarely a smooth drive. we are looking towards the north bay, as well. a smooth flow of traffic for south 101. the westbound direction is showing a lighter flow than it has the last couple of days. it is reopen again and moving smoothly. it is 6:10. coming up on "today in the bay" new details on the crisis in syria. congress holding a hearing to discuss possible military

action. we'll let you know what top officials will be doing with the testimony. >> for a three-day weekend it was busy for business. we will take a look coming up in business news. we will take you live for a drive along the new bay bridge. what you can expect on the brand new span. that will happen with bob ridell coming up. so what can i get you? we'll take something tasty and healthy. ♪ ♪ if you wanna go and fly with me ♪ ♪ it's buzz the bee on your tv ♪ ♪ oh how did i get this way? ♪ hey! must be the honey! ♪ there's a party going on in your cereal bowl ♪ ♪ o's can help lower cholesterol ♪ ♪ oh why does it taste so great? ♪ ♪ hey! must be the honey! ♪ ♪ hey! must be the honey! ♪ hey! must be the honey!

it's halloween time ♪ heand disneyland is ours!

going down! boo! with haunted mansion holiday... space mountain ghost galaxy, and wicked fun in both parks, the disneyland resort just got spookier! visit disneyland.com/halloween trick or treat. you're watching "today in the bay." here is the view of san jose this morning. we have partly cloudy skies. showers have moved on but the heat is about to come back to the bay area. we have a look at that in the forecast coming up. chopper's sky view at the bay bridge toll plaza. the backup is still there. same backup, worse than is typical. a lot of folks want to try out the new span which has reopened. we are telling you what to

expect and also the bigger backup, this traffic tuesday up. here are the day's top stories. the u.s. senate foreign relations committee taking the first step towards authorizing military force in syria. secretary of state john kerry and defense secretary chuck hagel expected to testify at a hearing. president obama seeking congressional approval to launch an air strike against syria. firefighters are closing in on full containment on the rim fire. the latest report shows the fire is now 75% contained. it was 70% earlier this morning. now the number up to 75%. still full containment not expected for another couple of weeks. commuters testing out the brand new span of the bay bridge and the honor of getting locked up in traffic. the bridge opening up to the public just after 10:00 last -- night. several hours before people

expected it but this morning a lot of people getting their first morning commute. one of the first commuters is our own bob ridell. what is your impression? >> reporter: well, i can say i'm glad i'm not that guy right there getting pulled over by chp, probably the first commuter to be pulled over on the new span of the bay bridge. we are heading eastbound. your first impression is the tower here and the suspension cables. when it is lit up -- we are getting the early dawn. when it is lit up it feels like you are under this beautiful cathedral of lights. you look at the old section until last night, the area just so wide open. you don't have an upper and lower deck. the eastbound direction has its own roadway and to the left side

is the westbound section. you have a much more open feel. you have shoulders on either side of the road so that if there were an issue, perhaps it is not as bad when we have break downs and accidents there is room to pull over. i'm watching the commute direction, the opposite direction seems like traffic is moving pretty well. it is not the limit but it is definitely moving. for 6:15 in the morning tuesday after the holiday, that's not bad. like i said, it is very open feel. you don't feel like you are in a cage like you were in the old section. i wonder psychologically if that will make the commute better because drivers won't feel boxed in as much. >> i thought it was very bright, very modern. it is interesting to look at the old bridge and look at the new one. it is like looking at a dinosaur. it makes it exciting. >> reporter: from a commuter's point of view? >> it was slower.

people marveling a little bit. it is historic. >> i think it is going to be fantastic. it looks wider. it looks like traffic was absolutely no problems. i think it is going to be fantastic. >> reporter: and another thing i noticed on the decline headed towards the toll plaza in the eastbound direction the incline and the decline aren't as steep as the old bridge. maybe they are equal. psychologically does not feel as steep. feels like a much more gentler slope. i would be curious to know whether or not that is the case. head lights heading towards us in the commute direction. surprisingly there is a nice flow of traffic there. it is a tuesday after a holiday. we will get a better idea of how great an impact this has on the commute perhaps as far as making it better for people trying to get through every morning.

reporting live, bob ridell, "today in the bay." >> don't get pulled over by chp. >> keep it smooth and legal. let's check in with business and tech. microsoft does a lot of things around the world. the question is can it compete in the cell phone world. >> nokia to take on apple and samsung. >> microsoft phones have been around for a while made by other companies. nokia bought into the idea of wholesale switching all of its phones to the microsoft phone operating system. now this morning news microsoft will buy the finnish phone maker. microsoft ceo talked to my colleague a short time ago. >> we really kicked this journey off two and a half years ago with a partnership with nokia to do windows phone. that partnership has yielded some very good results from

literally nothing two years ago to 7.4 million windows phones in the last quarter alone. we have been growing 78%. we know we have a lot to do. >> let's talk for a moment about steven, the most recent ceo of nokia. he is well known to silicon valley. most recently at microsoft. microsoft gets him back as part of this deal and it is thought he is a shoe in as microsoft's next ceo. remember steve balmer is stepping down. some in europe narrow their eyes over the deal. elaugh goes to nokia and shuts down the operating system and switches the whole thing to microsoft's operating system and then gets hired back to potentially run microsoft. other news expect a big day on wall street not really because of nokia but because of the news on monday about china and europe.

the economy in europe is recovering. the economy in china not slowing as quickly as we feared. all of this is good news, news that the markets couldn't react to on monday because they were closed for labor day. >> thanks so much. >> a little momentum hopefully. thank you very much. let's take a look at the forecast. 50s and 60s on the board to start off this tuesday. >> maybe not quite as warm as 24 hours ago. you still don't need a jacket outside waking up to 62 degrees in san jose. chillier around santa rosa. you see the numbers at 52 degrees. we have on shore winds today getting into fairfield or livermore to help keep afternoon temperatures down. the views were gorgeous. we had showers early morning into the evening. this rainbow view from danville. now that moisture has left the bay area and moving up towards the sierra. as you heard a few moments ago now 75% containment of the rim

fire and we see scattered showers in the forecast. the smoke plume unfortunately continues to push poor air quality probably away from the yosemite valley. the smoke will drift dropping more ash there today and more smoke heading towards lake tahoe and reno. bay area sort of in transition from the muggy conditions to one that will see a little more sunshine than yesterday. partly cloudy. close to 80 for san jose. mid 70s in oakland. mid 80s towards the tri valley. we are going to see a huge pattern change. starting to see changes by thursday. the big warmup comes friday, saturday and sunday. we are talking mid to upper 90s to kick off the weekend. 70s and 80s for a perfect beach weekend for saturday and sunday. with the north winds we have to watch out for fire danger around the bay area hill tops. for a check of traffic here is

mike. >> over here we are looking at our view. christie smith is at the bay bridge toll plaza. we are looking at the backup here at the toll plaza. all of the lights backed up. let's look from our emeryville camera. we are jammed up all the way around the bend. palo is a good landmarker here. big signs you see. look at the folks coming off of 580 northbound 880 moving over here off of the maze and making their way towards the backup at the bay bridge toll plaza. they may have turned the metering lights on slower to keep folks metered across. w1b a smooth drive on interstate 80. we look over towards the maps and see how things are shaping up. it is jamming up through golden gate field down through university. 580 coming from the maze. the same shot we showed you on the live look plays out on our

maps. south 880 now a problem because there is a crash and maybe a car fire sparking over here south 880. that impedes your flow towards the san mateo bridge. both bridges should show a smoother flow today. as we get a look out here you see 580, 84 and 680 with speeds coming down below the speed limit. northbound routes are kicking in and we end with a quick view around the peninsula with no problems. >> we like smooth. thank you, mike. it is 6:23. finishing the job. swimmer diana nyad makes it to shore in a record-setting swim. we will hear from her coming up.

♪ [ female announcer ] wherever morning brings you, bring the energy you need. new nature valley soft-baked oatmeal squares. softly baked. made with hearty oatmeal and a drizzle of cinnamon. they're nature valley's brand new take on a morning classic.

because when you keep going, the morning can bring you to brand new places. ♪ nature valley. nature at its most delicious. shhhhh! in our day, we didn't have u-verse high speed internet. yeah, our babysitter didn't have a million ways to serve mom up on a silver platter. we had to count sheep to fall asleep. and i always worried that i was creating an overcrowded sheep farm. in my head...

never looked like that farmer took proper care of those sheep. too much? a little. [ male announcer ] connect all your wi-fi-enabled devices with u-verse high speed internet. rethink possible. endurance swimmer diana nyad getting much needed rest after completing the monster swim that has eluded her for decades. >> we should never ever give up. >> she did not. she talked about perseverance and endurance. arriving on the shores of key west, florida after swimming more than 110 miles99all the wa from cuba. it was actually her fifth attempt. her first was way back in 1978. now she finally gets it done. she becomes the very first

person to complete this swim without the protection of a shark cage or flippers. she did it solo. coming up this morning on the "today" show she will be there to talk about and relive her journey. you can catch that here on nbc bay area starting at 7:00 a.m. less than 24 hours after being hospitalized to get rehydrated she is out on the circuit telling the world about that swim. crisis in syria, congress moving closer to a decision on military action as president obama drums up more support for a missile strike. we will have the latest on a live report still ahead. plus dennis rodman the diplomat? the former basketball star back in north korea right now. we will let you know what he is saying about his latest trip. [ mom ] in my family, we're big cereal lovers.

so we just look for this g. 'cause general mills makes over 40 yummy flavors that are 130 calories or less per serving.

and they're packed with vitamins and minerals. from lucky charms to cheerios. over 40 cereals. 130 calories or less. [ laughs ] ♪ [ female announcer ] hey ladies. you love it. you've got to have it. cinnamon toast crunch, 'cause that cinnamon and sugar is so irresistible. everybody craves those crazy squares.® president obama pushing for military action in syria as the secretary of state gets ready to stand before the senate in a key

hearing. we are live in washington with the latest. and right now ring in the bell, the susan kom en foundation getting it done. international movement helping out on this tuesday. this is "today in the bay." from nbc bay area this is "today in the bay." and "today in the bay" it is 6:30 right now. thanks for joining us. i'm jon kelley. >> i'm marla tellez in for laura garcia-cannon. we have new details this morning oon the crisis in syria. israel says it has carried out a joint missile test with the u.s. in the mediterranean sea as washington considered sea launched strikes against syria. two top administrative officials testify before congress today to make the case for military action in that country. we go live to tracy pots in

washington now. >> first of all, that missile test in the mediterranean today u.s. military officials say they were warned about it in advance but they were not a part of that test with israel. hear on capitol hill secretary of state john kerry, defense secretary chuck hagel and the head of the joint chief of staff trying to convince reluctant lawmakers to authorize the strike on syria. it is what the president wants. it is what the administration says is necessary after syria they believe is behind the chemical weapons attacks. some lawmakers think this is a civil war in which we should not be getting involved. others say they want to make sure the rebels we have been supporting come out of this in a stronger position and not a weaker position. today before the senate foreign relations committee a lot of questions to be asked and answered about where we go from here. >> we will wait and see.

thanks so much. here in the bay area activists have planned to stage protests urging to vote against action. both pelosi andl="feinstein hav said the u.s. should take some sort of action against syria. protests begin at 8:00 this morning. the mayor of san jose expected to unveil a brand new plan to try to beef up the city's police department. this proposal coming as the city continues a standoff with the police union over pay raises. monty francis is live at city hall with more on the proposal. >> reporter: mayor reed's plan would add 200 more officers to the force in the next four years and would also restore a ten percent pay cut that officers had agreed to a couple of years ago. them3;át+ju is proposal thislu g

with city councilman samlocardo. the officers accepted a ten percent pay cut to avoid layoffs and the union wants that restored right away. union officials say if the pay cut is not restored within the next year officers will continue to leave san jose for other departments that pay more. four years ago there were 1,400 officers and now the number is back to 1,000 and the mayor wants to get the number up to 1,200 by 2017. the police officers union says the plan is full of empty promises and the city council is scheduled to discuss this at 1:30 this afternoon. new efforts to restore police services coming during a violent time in san jose. officers looking for the shooter involved in the city's 33rd

homicide of the year which happened in broad day light last month. with the total of 33 homicides during the first eight months of the year san jose currently on pace to surpass last year's 46 total homicides. a live look outside at the south bay as you get ready to head out the door on this tuesday. we hope you had a nice labor day. you can see clouds in the sky. another day with a muggy start. >> it can be moggy out there. i like it. >> this is why i am not a meteorologist. >> you are right on. it was foggy and muggy yesterday. there you go. jeá muggy around the bay area. right now we are looking at leftovers east of san jose. that is tropical moisture leftover from yesterday's showers. right now 63 in san jose. 60 in san francisco. a bit cooler in the north bay. you need a jacket if you head your kids off to school in the morning in the north bay.

we have the sea breeze southwest at 17 into fairfield. west winds moving into livermore. that is one of the reasons we see mild temperatures before things heat up approaching the weekend. now the rain-producing clouds, hour by hour for temperatures from 9:00 until lunch time you are starting to see 80s popping up towards the east bayxd valle. upper 70s closer to san jose. one of the cooler days we see over the next seven because beginning friday now you have 90s coming back into the forecast. by the weekend mid to upper 90s saturday and sunday. a gorgeous time to head out to the beach where you see 70s and 80s awaiting you there for the upcoming weekend. >> we have our chopper overhead and this is a backup coming off of the maze. it is open and moving smoothly for business. this is coming off of the maze west 580 and interstate 880. this is the big backup that is there. look at the shot of the east shore freeway. i'm looking back up towards

berkeley. at the top of your screen coming out of richmond. as far as the eye can see it is crawling. on our maps we see westbound 80 is the most dramatic slowing coming down out of richmond. from west 580 things really bogged down. north 880 recovered after slowing. a pretty typical commute. south 880 is an issue. we had an earlier crash and car fire reported through the area. it looks like things are slower and clearer towards the san mateo bridge. we see a smoother drive across 92, as well. forced to avoid the bay bridge. a lot of folks may be heading there. that might be why we have heavier flow. north 87 coming down. lighter than a typical tuesday. i expected a heavier traffic ÷ 7:00.

after labor day a lot of folks coming back. we'll see if that takes effect for the south bay and we'll look at the traffic flow as the traffic is building but not coming down much below 50. it is 6:37. still ahead japan taking a drastic step to contain radiation leaks at the fukushima nuclear plant. what some say is the motivation behind the move. plus dennis rodman on the move again. a lot of people wondering what he is doing. we'll check in to see what his latest trip is all about. hey lena, what ya looking for?

well, you've found delicious! ♪ ♪ if you wanna go and fly with me ♪ ♪ it's buzz the bee on your tv ♪ ♪ oh how did i get this way? ♪ hey! must be the honey! ♪ it is so honey swagalish ♪ so much crunch, can you handle this? ♪ ♪ the party in the bowl don't stop! ♪ ♪ hey! must be the honey! ♪ ♪ hey! must be the honey! ♪ must be the honey!

you're watching "today in the bay." and the bridge that has been nufleeglected a little bit toda because of the new eastern span of the bay bridge. golden gate bridge. >> nice to give the ggb a little love. >> it deserves it. you can see some of the not too much cloud cover out there but it is a little hazy. rob is in for christina to take a look. at least eight people are dead and 50 more wounded after egyptian helicopters attacked militant strongholds in that area. an army source says a ground operation was underway with air cover but the fighting is still going on.

attacks by islamest militants have increased since mohamed morsi was ousted in early july. the japanese government says it is ready to fund a costly project to stop radiation leaks from the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. the project would build a shield wall around the reacters of the plant which was devastated in 2011 by the earthquake and tsunami. experts hoping the wall will help prevent radioactive water from coming into contact with the ground wall. this is untested. the wall is widely seen as a desperate safety appeal days q committee chooses who will host the 2020 summer games. dennis rodman has landed in north korea this morning to visit leader kim jong-un. this is the second time this year the basketball star has

travelled to this country. rodman says he is just paying a visit to his friend. he played down speculation that his trip is to free jailed missionary bay. it is 6:42 right now. still ahead on "today in the bay" the new bay bridge. it is now open to traffic. we'll take you on a live look at the span coming up. and firefighters making huge progress on the rim fire. we have brand new numbers into our news room. and the stock market doing very well on news out of europe and the microsoft deal. we'll lookt( at all of it ahead we are starting to see clearing skies around the south bay right now before summer heat comes back to the seven day forecast. i'll have acvh look at that co right up. plus the backup. the bay bridge is open. i'll show you how dramatic the slowing is through berkeley and other routes that were popular earlier, what they are like today.

♪ [ female announcer ] wherever morning brings you, bring the energy you need. new nature valley soft-baked oatmeal squares. softly baked. made with hearty oatmeal and a drizzle of cinnamon. they're nature valley's brand new take on a morning classic. because when you keep going, the morning can bring you to brand new places. ♪ nature valley. nature at its most delicious.

weltcome back. it is 6:45. the rim fire continues to burn. today we will get an update on the water quality up there since the fire started crews have worked hard to make sure it did not spread to the main source of drinking water for a good portion of the bay area. this afternoon at 1:00 we will get the latest details on water quality testing done at the reservoir. we will find out about efforts to restore power to san francisco municipal customers. firefighters are close to containing the fire. they have the flames 75% contained. it burned almost 276,000 acres. there are still about 5,500 structures threatened but no

mandatory evacuation orders in place at this time. all the humidity out there, rob, was your hair getting the treatment like mine? >> it was out of control. we did at least get rain to kind of help us out later on in the evening. our moisture has moved off to the east and the wind pattern today around the rim fire will push some of the smoke and ash across the reservoir. as you just heard some good news around the rim fire, 75% contained. higher humidity levels, relative cooler temperatures helped. the pattern will begin to change as we head towards friday and s saturday. right now showers have moved on. it was a gorgeous evening around the east bay. these are the rainbow views. many more around san jose yesterday. rain producing clouds moved on. the moisture hasn't moved on.

63 in san jose. 62 in livermore. notice the winds coming in on shore. that is going to back offkúo÷ s friday and saturday. that will lead to temperatures climbing up. you see the showers there in the sierra level. keeping high pressure at bay for now. that will change as the low lifts inland later tomorrow and temperatures climb up today near 80 in san jose. 68 degrees for san francisco. mid 70s in oakland. the same temperatures hold up tomorrow and nooz thursday. things warm up for the weekend. you notice high pressure building in once we pass thursday. now the valleys are back to the 90s. 70s to the coast and mid to upper 90s for the inland valleys. hot temperatures and we will have to watch out for fire danger in our own bay area hill tops. we are looking at today's commute and the way it effects your drive in. we are looking at a crash just behind this bush. we see a flashing light.

you see the slow traffic approaching on the southbound side of 680. that is an issue as you get out of pleasanton where traffic is building already. the whole tri valley really building.  san mat bridge. westbound how nice that is. we had a very slow drive since basically thursday last week been tough because of folks avoiding the bay bridge. getting here on our maps we are talking about the slow down south 880 approaching the street. car fire reported. it did kick off slowing for the short time it was there and now it is slow out of oakland heading towards hayward causing more folks to head to the area. that is the slow down off of that section. north 880 moves smoolthly. heading to the maze it is jammed up there. ñ ding to the maze it is jammed richmond down through berkeley and emeryville.

live look outside we show you what things are like. approaching the tunnel there as the folks heading across the bridge see a smooth and easy drive. it looks like it is slower today to keep folks flowing. now, christie smith over at the toll plaza. she has been there all morning covering the changes and the differences that you are going to see. what is it looking like today? >> reporter: good morning to you. i just got off the phone with the chp and they said what you probably already know and that is that the traffic volume got started earlier than normal. i want to step aside so you can take a look at what the incline is looking like this morning. once you get past the metering lights things are looking pretty good. for these commuters it is a historic ride. the first time ever over the span. the views are absolutely

amazing. the first drivers got on at about 10:15 last night with the chp escort. the span opened before 5:00 a.m. that was the scheduled start time. drivers honked and shouted in celebration 24 years after the quake damaged the old bridge in the first place. it is finally out with the old and in with the new after many delays. earlier there was a ceremony. there were vintage cars that were rolled out. we spoke with one family from albany who waited. >> once in a lifetime experience and i'm really excited about it and i'm not going to miss it. >> reporter: now, this new bridge does have shoulders on it unlike the old one. the chp reminding drivers that the shoulders are for stalled cars and emergencies and not for getting out and snapping a group photo even though you might want to. no driving and taking pictures.

we have seen quite a few chp officers. we saw five at one time making sure everything is safe. reporting live in oakland, christie smith, "today in the bay." >> thank you very much. great heads up. avoid the selfies on the bridge. even though cars not driving across the old eastern span this morning it is still a part of the drive for the next three years at least in your view. crews have the task of taking apart the bridge. they will start on the side closest to the island and work their way east. demolition not coming at a chea- price. it will cost about $235 million to rip it down. nbc bay area as your complete coverage of the bridge opening. you can find raw video of yesterday's ceremony as well as the first cars to move across. it is 6:51. san jose police say there is still no sign of the hit-and-run driver responsible for killing two women on their way to work

yesterday. the families of 63-year-old carmen zavala and 62-year-old christina delion brought flowers. it was there police say the women's toyota was struck by a speeding mercedes. the women died from their injuries. the families are calling for that driver to surrender. >> he has no remorse. he has no feelings. he could be under the influence. we don't know. if he was, i mean, that's even worse. >> zavala and delion were less than a mile from work at mineta san jose where they worked in food service for many years. two elderly people are safe after evacuating their burning home. it happened on rockrose drive. this is in newark.

crews say the fire started in the attic but the cause is still being investigated. sentencing has been delayed for former peninsula pta leader found guilty of embezzlement. a hearing will take place for matthew hidalgowho pleaded guilty for taking $14,000 from margaret brown elementary school. he was the school's pta president. he told the principal he was trying to pay off car and tax debt. later on this morning san bruno city leaders will update the public on the recovery efforts from the 2010 pipeline explosion. talking about the rebuilding that is happening on going since that deadly day happened years ago. he and the other city leaders will be speaking this morning at 10:30 at the san bruno city

hall. also on the agenda the california public utilities commission on how it regulates and manages utility companies. this monday will be three years since that deadly san bruno explosion. a total of eight people ended up dying. the blast also hurt dozens of others. moving on to business and tech now. shares of nokia are up 43% this morning on the news microsoft will buy the company. >> scott mcgrew, microsoft getting serious. >> apple i think especially. in the future microsoft will have the apple model. you make the phone. you make the operating system. you control the app store. microsoft said last night it would buy nokia for a little north of 7 billion. former nokia seen as the shoe in for the74p next ceo. looking at the broader markets it is a good day.

dow industrial up better than 100 points. nasdaq up 40. vicea says ceo stepping down for health reasons. friday the jobs report just before a key fed meeting. good news there could spur the fed to announce tapering. keep in mind the fed buys $40 billion worth of mortgage securities each month. you think it is a big deal for microsoft to spend 7 billion on nokia. the fed spends the equivalent of nokia every five and a half days. >> puts it into perspective. it is 6:55 right now. this is a beautiful thing to look at. it is ten years in the making and the bridge cost over $6 billion. the question remains, what is it like toaj÷ drive on the new spaf the bay bridge. let's go to bob ridell. what is it like being stuck in traffic this morning on the new

span? >> reporter: good morning to you. we are heading into eastbound direction towards oakland. one of the first things you notice is the tower and the beautiful shape it forms with the suspension cables draping down. before the sun came up when it lit up it is absolutely stunning. that is what we have been hearing from commuters across the bridge how beautiful this is. the other thing is how wide open it is. you can see the old cage of steel. and here you have this wide open space. you do not have the upper and lower deck anymore. each roadway runs parallel to each other. you notice we have shoulders so when there are break downs or accidents ideally those cars will be able to pull over and you are not going to have as much of a backup.

of course, just talking to chp this morning telling us how surprised they were pleasantly that traffic is going so well. here is what commuters are saying, as well. what were your pgaimpressions? >> it is nice. it is everything. it is clear. there is no traffic. nothing. very good. >> i was blown away. it was excellent engineering. >> reporter: what do you think of the new bay bridge? >> smooth drive. >> reporter: what did you think of the new bay bridge? >> like it. >> reporter: and what is interesting is you are heading down the new 21st century version of the bay bridge you have the old relic sitting here next to you. it is a stark reminder of what it was like last week to what you have now, this beautiful decline into oakland towards the toll plaza. as far as whether or not this is having a huge impact on the

commute as far as when you get on the bridge itself, we did go across the western span into commute direction about five minutes ago. it moved but it is hard to tell whether it was moving faster than the old bay bridge. to be determined. reporting live here on the new span, the eastern span of the bay bridge heading into oakland, bob ridell, "today in the bay." >> that was not bob driving, as well. >> he is big time. he has a driver. pick up the laundry, has a driver. let's take a look at the tuesday morning forecast. nice numbers on the board today. >> not too bad and nice that the fog has given us a bit of break. you can see the span. the showers moving on. the humidity left behind. 80 in san jose. 60s in san francisco. =. 70s in oakland. get ready for a warmup starting friday putting us in the 90s. towards the east shore freeway as far as the eye can

see traffic is jammed up. even though you drive across the bridge in both directions it is smooth. getting there is the problem. look at the map we are showing you a very smooth jls+jur speeds below 20 miles per hour pretty much from richmond down in towards the berkeley curve. the southbound direction bogged down around the san mateo bridge. the tri valley slow. an earlier crash. it looks like it is making its way to the shoulder. things let up into fremont. it@ is 6:59. one final check of the day's top story. the u.s. foreign relation committee taking the first step towards authorizing military force in syria. secretary of state john kerry and chuck hagel expected to testify. president obama seeking congressional approval to launch an air strike against syria. and commuters checking out the new span oeft bay bridge.

enjoy it today as you head out on this tuesday. we appreciate you waking up with us. >> we will see you again tomorrow. > (♪). buenos días, noticias, soprendente prueba de misiles en el mediterráneo y crece tensión por la crisis en siria. y esto en el mismo que el presidente barack obama citó a miembros claves del gobierno para buscar apoyo para el ataques deliberados por estados unidos. la persona que logra su sueño diana nyad que cruzó de gloria de de cuba a logro o vida en el interés intento. cómo fue lograr esta meta. y esta mañana está con nosotros vivo. y 50 sombras de grey genera controversia, los protagonistas de la película han generado sorpresas, y hoy martes 3 de septiembre del 2013.