Theresa Juva-Brown

tjuva@lohud.com

Wednesday was limbo dance time for the I Lift NY super crane.

Shortly after 5 p.m., a tug boat team carefully guided the monster machine underneath the Tappan Zee Bridge to the north side, where it will soon get to work on the replacement project. The move appeared to go off without a hitch.

Since the super crane arrived south of the bridge Monday, crews had been getting it ready for the squeeze under the span.

Because the crane is so tall, it was lowered by adding weight.

"They fill the inside of the barge with water so it sinks it down a little bit more, and that way it makes its clearance under the bridge," Tappan Zee Constructors' spokeswoman Carla Julian told The Journal News.

Crews also had to raise the center navigational light on the Tappan Zee to give the crane enough space, according to the Coast Guard.

In addition, the project team took advantage of the full moon, which made Wednesday's low tide even lower.

And how is such an enormous piece of equipment moored?

The barge has special anchors called "spuds," long pieces of steel that are planted into the river bottom.

When the spuds are raised, a tug boat team can re-position the crane, but it's expected to stay on the north side of the bridge for the next couple of years, officials say.

One of its first tasks will be lifting giant pieces of material for the platforms that will support the new towers.

Starting in 2017, it will also help dismantle the existing bridge.

"The crane will begin its work next week, marking another milestone on the New NY Bridge project, one of Governor Cuomo's top infrastructure priorities that remains on schedule and on budget," said Brian Conybeare, special adviser to Cuomo on the Tappan Zee.

On Monday, TZC president Darrell Waters, alongside Cuomo, gave reporters a bridge construction update:

• About 25 percent of the project has been completed.

• 65 percent of the piles, long steel foundation supports, have been installed. The twin span will require about 1,000.

• As of Monday, the project site had 31 cranes and about 550 construction workers.

Did you watch the super crane pass under the bridge? If so, tweet your photos to @tjuva or use the hashtag #TZCrane.