Major section of old eastern span of Bay Bridge will be taken down

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Major horizontal segment of old eastern span of Bay Bridge being taken down. 

A major section of the old eastern span of the Bay Bridge is scheduled to begin coming down Thursday morning.

Caltrans released an animation of the dismantling project.

Caltrans crews will begin lowering the first of five trusses.

They are known as the 504's and combined to stretch for about half a mile.
Each of the span sections weighs about 25-hundred tons.

Crews will begin severing the truss from the towers and begin a slow decent to the bay.

The truss will be lowered onto two barges that will transport the structure to pier 7 at the Port of Oakland where over time, it will be broken apart and the scrap metal recycled.

Caltrans says dismantling and lower the truss will take 2 days.

The truss will be lowered at a rate of approximately 25 feet per hour.

Caltrans says environmental protections are also in place.