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Final Section Of New Bay Bridge Tower Being Installed

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Work to install the last remaining section of the new Bay Bridge tower began Friday with crews hoisting the top portion of the iconic suspension tower.

The piece being installed Friday - known as the 'grillage' for the grill-like appearance of a portion of the section - is considered the most complicated installation of the entire tower project, according to Caltrans.

KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:

The placement of the fifth section of the self-anchored suspension tower will bring the tower height up to 495 feet, whereas before Friday, the tower stood at 480 feet.

Bay Bridge tower saddle
A portion of the top section of the new Bay Bridge tower. (Holly Quan/CBS)

Construction of the first tower section began last July, with the second following in October, the third in December and the fourth just last month.

Caltrans officials said the $6.3 billion project to build the new eastern span and make the entire Bay Bridge more seismically safe is still on time and is slated to be finished in 2013.

KCBS' Margie Shafer Reports:

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)

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