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Specifications Of New SF-Oakland Bay Bridge

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opens nearly 25 years after the Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the old span. Here are some of the $6.4-billion structure's specifications:

— It is the longest self-anchored suspension span in the world (2,047 feet) and features a single, mile-long main cable connected to either end of the bridge's roadway that supports the structure's weight.

— 200 steel suspender ropes attached to the span's main cable and roadway complete the span's self-anchoring system, compressing and lifting the roadway into place.

— The main tower is 525-feet high and comprised of four legs designed to move with the shaking of an earthquake. The legs are held together by "shear-link" beams designed to take the brunt of quake damage and be easily replaced.

— The main tower's foundation is anchored by 13 concrete pilings driven about 200 feet into the bedrock beneath San Francisco Bay.

— A bicycle and pedestrian path that connects Oakland to Yerba Buena Island will be only partially open at first while crews demolish a section of the old bridge so the final path to the island can be completed.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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