The holidays will come early for the Bay Bridge as the third set of tower sections for the iconic Self-Anchored Suspension Span (SAS) are placed during a round-the-clock lift that began this week. These sections will bring the tower up to nearly three-quarters of its final 525-ft-tall height.

The latest set of four tower sections arrived in the Bay Area on Dec. 13.

The tower is made up of four independent legs, each of which is composed of five vertical sections. The third set of tower sections will bring the tower up to 374 ft tall, just shy of the original East Span�s high point of 388 ft.

The new set of tower segments are 101.7-ft-tall and each one weighs approximately 1.1 million lbs.

While the tower will rise nearly 38 stories above the bay, that is only 71% of the tower�s final height, already making it taller than Coit Tower (210 ft), the Campanile at U.C. Berkeley (307 ft) and the Tribune Tower (310 ft), according to Caltrans. Two strand jacks will hoist each section about 40 stories into the air, so that each segment can be moved into the erection tower just above the first two sections of the tower. Once the third section is lowered into place, crews will bolt the third and second sections together using splice plates.

The latest set of four tower sections arrived in the Bay Area on Dec. 13.

The tower is made up of four independent legs, each of which is composed of five vertical sections. The third set of tower sections will bring the tower up to 374 ft tall, just shy of the original East Span�s high point of 388 ft.

The new set of tower segments are 101.7-ft-tall and each one weighs approximately 1.1 million lbs.

While the tower will rise nearly 38 stories above the bay, that is only 71% of the tower�s final height, already making it taller than Coit Tower (210 ft), the Campanile at U.C. Berkeley (307 ft) and the Tribune Tower (310 ft), according to Caltrans.

Two strand jacks will hoist each section about 40 stories into the air, so that each segment can be moved into the erection tower just above the first two sections of the tower. Once the third section is lowered into place, crews will bolt the third and second sections together using splice plates.

Crews are working around the clock, using two 12-hour shifts, to erect all four tower sections; it takes approximately 30 hours to lift, place and bolt each section and then lower the strand jacks into position before the next section can be lifted.

Crews placed the first tower sections onto the foundation in July, and the second set in October. The arrival of the final group of tower sections is expected in February.

Crews are working around the clock, using two 12-hour shifts, to erect all four tower sections; it takes approximately 30 hours to lift, place and bolt each section and then lower the strand jacks into position before the next section can be lifted.

Crews placed the first tower sections onto the foundation in July, and the second set in October. The arrival of the final group of tower sections is expected in February.