In Progress: Tappan Zee crews work around the clock to install piles

March 4, 2014 by

A short reprieve from bad weather in the last week has finally allowed Tappan Zee Bridge construction crews to resume work on the Hudson River.

LoHud By Theresa Juva-Brown11:26 p.m. EST March 3, 2014

A short reprieve from bad weather in the last week has finally allowed Tappan Zee Bridge construction crews to resume work on the Hudson River.

Not only are they back to work, but crews are toiling away around the clock to install giant steel piles that will help support the new crossing. The pile

s are being installed in two segments and then welded together.

The pile welders, members of the local dockbuilders union, are working six days a week in two 12-hour shifts. As the work progresses, a third shift will be added, with each team of welders working eight-hour shifts six days a week, project leaders say.

Over the next year, leaders have said they hope to have 1,000 piles installed in the river. Crews are currently working on a batch of 90 piles.

In other Tappan Zee Bridge project news this week:

• The project’s 31-member mass transit task force delivered its final report on Friday, after more than a year of meetings. The Thruway Authority formed the panel in 2012 to study and make recommendations for mass transit improvements on Interstate 287.

• The panel has proposed expanding the existing Tappan ZEExpress bus service and a creating a “bus rapid transit” system with seven routes in Westchester and Rockland. The ambitious plan calls for a series of new stations, modern vehicles, and dedicated bus lanes in some places.

• The report did not include cost estimates or specific ways to pay for such a system. Still, top state transportation leaders said they are committed to having the system in place by the time the new Tappan Zee is completed in 2018.

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/tappan-zee-bridge/2014/03/01/in-progress-tappan-zee-crews-work-around-the-clock-to-install-piles/5927187/

Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , ,

CREWS MOBILIZE FOLLOWING WINTER WEATHER SHUTDOWN; PILE DRIVING RESUMES ON NEW NY BRIDGE PROJECT

February 21, 2014 by

new

Project Update

For immediate release: February 21, 2014

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) resumed marine operations and pile driving this week as icy conditions cleared in the Hudson River and crews could safely go back to work. Pile driving operations will continue next week and a second shift of workers will be onsite to resume welding on the piles that will become the permanent foundation for the New NY Bridge.

Pile driving will take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays, and occasionally between noon and 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

Beginning the week of Feb. 24, crews will conduct nighttime geotechnical investigations on the Westchester approach to the existing bridge, in the vicinity of the toll plaza. Lane closures to support these operations will be in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., as needed, to minimize disruptions to traffic. This geotechnical investigation will confirm the soil conditions and ultimately allow the team to further streamline the design of the Westchester landings.

Lane Closures for New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287):

Monday Feb. 24 Southbound, Right Lane Near Toll Plaza 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Tuesday Feb. 25 Southbound, Right Lane Near Toll Plaza 8  p.m. to 5 a.m.
Wednesday Feb. 26 Southbound, Right Lane Near Toll Plaza 8  p.m. to 5 a.m.
Thursday Feb. 27 Northbound, Right Lane Near Toll Plaza 8  p.m. to 5 a.m.
Friday Feb. 28 Northbound, Right Lane Near Toll Plaza 8  p.m. to 5 a.m.

Mariners should be aware that TZC will continue installing permanent piles in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge, weather permitting. New temporary navigational lights have been installed to further define the 600-foot navigation channel under the main span. Both temporary and permanent piles are illuminated at night.

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a revised Notice to Mariners with updated safety information, including the establishment of a Regulated Navigation Area (RNA) – 300 yards north and 200 yards south of the existing Tappan Zee Bridge. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a modified permit for additional temporary mooring locations during construction of the new bridge. All boaters are advised to use the main channel, reduce wake and use extreme caution while transiting the area. If necessary, the Coast Guard may temporarily prohibit all vessel traffic in the RNA for safety purposes. The Coast Guard boating safety information and the modified mooring permit map can be found on the project website at NewNYBridge.com under the “Boater Safety” icon.

Ongoing Operations:
• Permanent pile installation, including pile driving between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays, and occasionally between noon and 7 p.m. on Saturdays
• Rockland access ramp modifications
• River Road utility work
• Test pile program
• Permanent pile installation
• Temporary Rockland trestle construction, including pile driving on weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Survey inspections on existing bridge
• Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline
• Reinforcement steel pre-assembly at bridge yard
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

New NY Bridge Update August 16, 2013: LOAD TESTING FOR THE TEST PILE PROGRAM BEGINS; LANE CLOSURES ON BRIDGE

August 16, 2013 by

bridge

For immediate release: August 16, 2013

LOAD TESTING FOR THE TEST PILE PROGRAM BEGINS;
LANE CLOSURES ON BRIDGE

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will begin testing both static and lateral loads this week as part of its test pile program.

These load tests are performed to ensure piles are capable of sustaining the design load of the new bridge. Testing will be conducted over a 40-hour period.

Impact pile driving will continue this week as part of the ongoing test pile program and will continue through October at various locations for future pile foundations. This work will be performed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and, at times, on Saturdays from 12 noon to 7 p.m. The test pile program will verify subsurface conditions and test structural load capacities in preparation for construction of the new bridge’s permanent foundation.

Overnight lane closures will also be required in both directions on I-87/I-287 and the Tappan Zee Bridge due to various construction activities.

Beginning Monday, August 19 through the morning of Wednesday, August 21, one southbound right hand lane and shoulder between exit 11 and the Tappan Zee Bridge will be closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for the installation of concrete traffic barriers to facilitate the reconstruction of the Thruway maintenance ramp. Additionally, one southbound right hand lane on the Tappan Zee Bridge will be closed during this period for the installation of structural monitors.

Beginning Wednesday, August 21 through the morning of Saturday, August 24, one northbound right hand lane and shoulder between exit 9 and the Tappan Zee Bridge, as well as one northbound right hand lane on the Tappan Zee Bridge will be closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for the installation of structural monitors.

Additional geotechnical borings will be conducted on the river at various locations. Operations will run 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

TZC will continue dredging operations in the Hudson River as part of the New NY Bridge Project. Dredging will occur through October 31 to avoid negatively impacting migration and spawning patterns of local sturgeon populations and other fish species.

Dredging crews will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week starting from the main navigation channel end of the dredging footprint towards the shoreline on both the Rockland and Westchester County sides of the bridge. The operations will deepen the river’s shallow water level in the work zone by removing sediment from the river bottom. The dredged materials are being properly disposed of at offsite locations.

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a revised Notice to Mariners with updated safety information, including a request that boaters use the main channel, reduce wake and use extreme caution while transiting the area in the vicinity of the Tappan Zee Bridge.

The Coast Guard boating safety information can be found the project website, www.NewNYBridge.com under the boating safety icon.

Ongoing operations:
· Test pile program
· Rockland bulkhead construction (including fence & gates) and Dock Extension at Rockland (under existing bridge)
· Temporary Westchester trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
· Survey inspections on existing bridge
· Mobilization at the exit 10 staging area
· Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

Rockland:
TZC will continue fencing and sidewalk work along River Road in South Nyack north of the existing bridge. This work is part of the bulkhead construction area and will be performed on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. At times, River Road will be limited to one lane with flag persons in place to ensure the safe flow of traffic.

Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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