East Span Update: Massive Floating Crane Makes First Major Lift

 The immense, barge-mounted crane -- dubbed the “Left Coast Lifter” -- that is being used to help build the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge’s new suspension span got to work today, performing its first major lift. Early this morning, the crane hoisted a 410-foot-long temporary truss weighing nearly 1,200 tons into place atop one of the temporary support towers. This temporary “bridge” will support work on the permanent span.

The crane was custom built for Caltrans and MTC’s Bay Area Toll Authority in Shanghai, China, and this summer will play a leading role in the main act of the challenging East Span construction process: positioning the permanent steel deck segments and tower sections for the self-anchored suspension span, or SAS, that will cross the deep-water shipping channel. These permanent tower and deck pieces are being fabricated in Shanghai at the same facility that built the Left Coast Lifter. (See related story)