A giant floating crane that was previously working on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge project has embarked upon a 6,000-mile Easterly voyage.
The New York-bound ‘Left Coast Lifter’ is to help with the construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge.
The journey, which will involve the behemoth passing through the Panama Canal and across the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to take between six and eight weeks to complete.
A video released by the Tappan Zee Constructors shows the Left Coast Lifter passing under San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge on its way to the Hudson River. The crane is reported to have travelled approximately 1,600 nautical miles since setting off from Oakland Harbor on 21 December 2013.
The crane is 400ft in length and can lift 1,750 tonnes. Once it has arrived at its new destination, it will help construction professionals to install deck panels on the new Tapan Zee Bridge. The Left Coast Lifter will also help in the demolishment of the existing bridge, which is scheduled to take place in 2017.
The crane is jointly owned by American Bridge-Fluor – a joint venture between Fluor Corporation and the American Bridge Company. The new Tappan Zee Bridge is expected to cost around $3.9bn. The first of its spans will open in 2016 and the project is predicted to complete in 2018.
