Last week was a big week for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. On Wednesday, it reached a construction milestone as the first section of its Self-Anchored Suspension Span (SAS) was lifted into place. On Thursday, Caltrans and Google held a joint press conference (also webcast live) to announce a partnership involving Google Earth. Users who have the program installed can now see completed portions of the Bay Bridge in 3D, as well as sections that have yet to be added.
Bay Bridge construction milestone reached as first section is lifted in place
The first section weighed 1,020 tons and was nearly 84 feet long and arrived on January 21, 2010. On Wednesday, February 3, it was lifted by a 400- by 100-foot shear leg crane barge, the largest on the West Coast. The new East Span is expected to be open to both westbound and eastbound traffic in 2013.
For detailed Bay Bridge photos, videos and more, visit the award-winning website: http://baybridge360.org/.
Sections of Bay Bridge now viewable in 3D with Google Earth
(Credit: Josh Lowensohn/CNET)
On Thursday, Caltrans and Google announced a partnership that brings the construction of the Bay Bridge up close to users of Google Earth around the world. Soon after sections of the SAS are lifted into place, they will appear in Google Earth. When the ‘3D Buildings’ layer is activated, users can see the Bay Bridge from any angle; sections that have been added will show up as solid pieces and sections that have yet to be added will be transparent.
Download the press releases here:
- Historic Lift of First Self-Anchored Suspension Span Section for New Bay Bridge (40 KB PDF)
- Bay Bridge Uses Google Earth to Reveal Iconic Construction Process (40 KB PDF)
For more information from news sources:
- Bridge deck piece is lifted into place in milestone for Bay Bridge project – Contra Costa Times
- First section of Bay Bridge span goes in – San Francisco Examiner
- Google Earth brings Bay Bridge construction up close to Web viewers – Contra Costa Times
- Google tapped for new 3D view of the Bay Bridge – CNET
