The largest crane barge on the West Coast is scheduled to arrive in San Francisco Bay Thursday afternoon, where it will remain to play its part during construction related to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Seismic Safety Project, bridge officials said.
The crane, nicknamed the "Left Coast Lifter" is fixed to a barge measuring 400 feet by 100 feet that is scheduled to pass under the western span of the Bay Bridge at around 1 p.m. The machinery will eventually assist in the retrofit that will result in the world's largest self-anchored suspension bridge, according to Caltrans.
The crane's boom is reported to be 328 feet in length, weigh 992 tons, and is capable of lifting 1,873 tons of materials.
The crane equipment will be responsible for placing all self-anchored suspension bridge deck sections as well as the lower portions of the new span's tower, projected to stand 525 feet tall, according to Caltrans.
The Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee, a joint authority combining Caltrans, the Bay Area Toll Authority and the California Transportation Commission, will be overseeing the arrival and placement of the Left Coast Lifter this afternoon.
