Construction Quiz: What will the new Tappan Zee Bridge share with the new Bay Bridge?

What lifts up to 1,750 tons? Goodbye "Left Coast Lifter". Hello "I Lift New York". The massive crane was barged 6,000 miles through the Panama Canal to begin construction of the replacement Tappan Zee Bridge, having completed the Bay Bridge job.

1 minute read

February 4, 2014, 12:00 PM PST

By Irvin Dawid


The name change is only appropriate for one of the world's largest floating cranes. It is now docked at a Port Authority of N.Y. and N.J. facility in Jersey City after its one-month journey from San Francisco Bay where it helped build the new East Span of the Bay Bridge that opened Sept. 2.

Next job: Tear down the existing Tappan Zee Bridge, operated by the New York State Thruway Authority, and "build the new bridge’s structure and foundation," writes Rebecca Harshbarger. "It is expected to shorten construction time, and cut costs in building because it is so powerful."

“The Lift New York super crane can lift the equivalent of twelve Statues of Liberty at once,” said (N.Y.) Governor Cuomo in a statement (Jan. 30).

Passage through the Panama Canal was no easy task. Watch The New York Times video showing "the twin-boom Left Coast Lifter, which is said to be the world’s largest floating crane, lifted roughly 54 feet above Pacific sea level in two stages at the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Locks," writes

Thursday, January 30, 2014 in New York Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight