World's Largest Cable Saddle Tops Bay Bridge [VIDEO]

You can't have the world's largest self-anchored suspension (SAS) bridge without the world's largest bridge cable saddle. The newly constructed east span of the Bay Bridge (which connects San Francisco to Oakland, CA) extends 2,047 ft, from the Yerba Buena Island to a skyway which leads to shore. More so than its size, it's the bridge's single-cable design which makes it unique. The mile-long cable is led twice over top a single tower, held in place by the colossal cable saddle that crews installed earlier today. The saddle weighs approximately 450 tons and is 13.7 ft tall at its apex. The single-cable, single-tower design is both an engineering triumph and an aesthetic achievement, offering unobstructed views of the bay along its east span.

Click the image below to watch a test fitting of the cable saddle:
You can watch construction live via the Bay Bridge construction cams mounted around the site.

Editor's Note: A spelling error has been corrected.

[Source: Bay Bridge Public Information Office via Telstar Logistics]