Bigge Readies Oakland Coliseum for Raiders Football

Aug. 27, 2010
Bigge Crane and Rigging is converting the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum from its baseball confines to one set up for football for the 13th consecutive year. The job requires Bigge to bring in Mount Davis, nearly 7,000 additional upper deck seats, in addition to expanding sections 134 through 150 — the seats that will be closest to the Raiders sideline in what is currently the Athletics outfield.

Bigge Crane and Rigging is converting the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum from its baseball confines to one set up for football for the 13th consecutive year. The job requires Bigge to bring in Mount Davis, nearly 7,000 additional upper deck seats, in addition to expanding sections 134 through 150 — the seats that will be closest to the Raiders sideline in what is currently the Athletics outfield.

This type of move requires Bigge to work in two, 12-hour shifts with two, 90-ton-capacity P&H conventional truck cranes and one, 120-ton Terex rough terrain crane, dispatched from its crane rental division.

When the A’s return from their road trip, Bigge will be moving the outfield seats back to their baseball configuration. The Raiders play their final exhibition game on Thursday, Sept. 2. That night, working from midnight to noon the next day, Bigge will be working to remove the extra infield seats and reconfigure the arena for baseball. A similar feat will be executed Sept. 19, after the Raiders first home game against the Rams.

“We are thrilled to be able to continue to work with the Oakland Coliseum and the Raiders and share their commitment to excellence,” said T.J. Carden, Bigge head dispatcher.

Bigge Crane and Rigging, San Leandro, Calif., specializes in crane sales and crane rental for heavy lift, heavy haul, and heavy rigging projects for the refinery, petrochemical, power and civil infrastructure industries.