THEY’RE ON THE HORIZON!
Port of Oakland gearing up to receive two new giant container cranes – even bigger than before!

Oakland, CA Updated March 4, 2005

The tentative schedule for the new super post-Panamax cranes to sail under the bridges is SATURDAY, March 5, 2005 between 11:30 am and noon at the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Port of Oakland is poised to accept delivery of two new giant container cranes – even bigger than before. The huge new cranes have been sailing across the Pacific Ocean from Shanghai, China aboard the "Zhen Hua 1" vessel. The two super post-Panamax cranes are expected to arrive sometime the first week of March, weather permitting.

The vessel carrying the new cranes is expected to tentatively arrive outside the Golden Gate March 2. It will take the crew a couple of days to “fold” the apex so that the cranes will be able to sail under the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges safely and with sufficient clearance. The cranes will be able to accommodate the newer wider container ships currently being used in the maritime industry.

The giant cranes at the apex are about the equivalent of a 24-story building – two stories taller than the newest cranes already in place at the Port of Oakland. The landed cost of one of these state-of-the-art cranes is about $7 million.