TOLEDO, Ohio — If you haven't noticed it, you may be in the minority. It's hard to miss; deemed the world's tallest crane, it poked its red steel profile above most structures in Toledo this summer.
Located near the mouth of the Maumee River, the giant 560-foot crane is working to help build the new Cleveland Cliffs Iron Briquette plant on Front Street near Millard. It was brought here in early summer via 218 semi trucks and put into position to set a massive furnace in place and install other equipment into the new plant.
The crane is only one of two like it in the world. Built in Germany by the Liebherr Company, it is an LR 13000. When it is fully extended, it can reach heights of over 700 feet. It is currently extended at about 560 feet for the project in Toledo.
It is not only tall, but strong, with a lift capacity of over 3,000 metric tons. That's the weight of about 1500 mid-sized cars.
The towering crawler crane is owned by the Mammoet Company of Canada and was recently used in the United Arab Emirates in Dubai to install an 800-foot observation wheel.
It will probably be gone from Toledo within a period of weeks, so if you love tall things — and want to get more than a long distance glimpse — head north of front Street toward Millard and follow that big red steel finger poking up into the clouds.