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Massive Old Bay Bridge Section Lowered Onto Barges

OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Caltrans began the meticulous process of lowering the fourth of five 504-foot sections of the old eastern span of the Bay Bridge on to barges Wednesday as the once majestic structure continued to slowly disappear from the San Francisco Bay, officials said.

Work lowering the truss started at about 6:30 a.m. and was scheduled to take two days to complete with crews working 12 to 14 hours per day.

Constructed in 1935, the bridge was decommissioned in 2013 when a new self-anchored suspension span was finished to replace it. Crews have slowly been deconstructing the obsolete span since then and demolition is scheduled to continue until 2018.

One reason for the long process is because of extensive measures taken to mitigate impact on the surrounding environment, according to Caltrans.

As the truss is lowered to barges in the bay, work crews are being advised by a bird deterrence contractor to make sure there is little impact on wildlife.

"Although we have already successfully completed this truss lowering operation on three recent occasions, we are diligent in our continued commitment to safety and the environment," chief bridge engineer Brian Maroney said in a statement.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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