USA: Cuomo Inspects New NY Bridge Project

November 13, 2013

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo inspected the start of formal construction on the New NY Bridge project and toured the construction site to see firsthand the progress of the new bridge to replace the Tappan Zee.

This tour included a briefing from the project’s lead construction officials including New NY Bridge Project Manager Peter Sanderson, and was the first of monthly meetings that the Governor will receive moving forward to ensure that construction stays on track.

Following this examination, the Governor announced that the project is on budget and on schedule, and has already helped grow the local economy by creating nearly 600 jobs and benefiting 500 companies, many of which are located in the Lower Hudson Valley.

“In just two years, after more than a decade of delay, the New NY Bridge project has aggressively moved forward,” Governor Cuomo said. “This afternoon, I took a tour of the construction to inspect firsthand the tremendous progress that has been made, and I am pleased to report that I am confident that the New NY Bridge project, arguably the most ambitious infrastructure project the State has undertaken in decades, will deliver a new bridge on budget and on schedule for the taxpayers and the Lower Hudson Valley community.”

“The Thruway Authority is grateful for Governor Cuomo’s strong leadership and support, and we will continue to work with the Governor’s office and all of the federal and state agencies involved to ensure that the project is completed on time and on budget,” said Thruway Authority Chairman Howard P. Milstein. “The New NY Bridge is the largest transportation infrastructure project in North America and one of the largest construction contracts in New York State history. We are becoming a national model for how a project like this can be planned and managed effectively using private sector knowledge and public sector transparency.”

Construction Timeline

– Dredging to prepare for bridge construction ended on November 1, 2013 and will also take place during August, September and October, 2014;

– October 2013: Main span permanent pile installation begins;

– November 2013: Permanent pile installation begins for approaches;

– March 2014: Work begins on approach substructure;

– June 2014: Work begins on main span substructure;

– September 2014: Work begins for erection of superstructure;

– Late 2014 / early 2015: Work begins on cable stay installation;

– Late 2016: Complete north span;

– December 2016: Relocate westbound traffic to new north span;

– February 2017: Relocate existing eastbound traffic to new north span;

– February 2017: Start demolition of existing bridge;