The New NY Bridge Newsletter November 2016

December 5, 2016 by
December 2016
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
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Night Shift:
Working Around the Clock to Reach New Heights
The new bridge’s iconic main span towers are nearing completion thanks to the around-the-clock efforts of the hard-working men and women of Tappan Zee Constructors.
South Nyack Residents Get First Look at Shared-Use Path:

Following South Nyack’s overwhelming endorsement of “Alternative F” in March, the New NY Bridge project team has been working with Mayor Bonnie Christian and the village’s Tappan Zee Bridge task force on the design of the Rockland end of the shared-use path.
Building a Smart Bridge:

Tappan Zee Constructors recently installed the first of 18 overhead gantries, which will be equipped with enhanced technology to help keep traffic moving safely and efficiently on the new bridge.
Saluting Those Who Served:

The New NY Bridge project is standing united this Veterans Day to honor all those who have served in the U.S. military.  Veterans are among the thousands of skilled individuals who have made possible the remarkable progress taking place on the Hudson River.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
Why does the current Tappan Zee Bridge need to be replaced?        
A:
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge opened to traffic in 1955 and is a vital artery for residents, commuters, travelers and commercial traffic. The bridge, which was designed to carry up to 100,000 vehicles per day, currently handles an average of 140,000 vehicles daily, and traffic congestion and delays are regular occurrences. Heavy traffic, narrow lanes and the lack of emergency shoulders often contribute to congestion and frustration for motorists. As a result, the bridge has twice the average accident rate per mile as the rest of the 570-mile Thruway system. In recent years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent to maintain and repair the bridge. If the current bridge were not being replaced, the Thruway Authority would need to spend an additional $3 billion to $4 billion over the next 20 years to ensure its structural integrity.
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

New NY Bridge October Newsletter

October 11, 2016 by
October 2016
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
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High Points:
Aerial Views of Tower Progress
Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) is one step closer to completing the twin-span crossing as the new bridge’s westbound towers reach their ultimate height, 419 feet above the Hudson River. Crews are putting the finishing touches on the upper sections of the towers and removing the blue jump forms when the operations are complete. TZC is scheduled to complete all four westbound towers within the coming weeks.

Raising the Road:

While the large and powerful I Lift NY super crane continues to raise enormous, 410-foot sections of steel above the Hudson River, a far smaller and swifter machine, called a derrick crane, is hard at work on an equally important task – installing hundreds of road deck panels to form the base driving surface of the bridge.

Building in Safety:

As the New NY Bridge project continues to makeremarkable progress above the Hudson River, crews are installing several safety features on the crossing.
These features are the result of the project’s close collaboration with local and regional first responders during the bridge’s design development phase.

Building the Sound Barrier:

Prior to the start of New NY Bridge construction in 2013, Rockland and Westchester residents living near the project site voted overwhelmingly in favor of new permanent barriers to reduce highway traffic noise. Today, progress on the barriers is readily apparent in South Nyack.

First Channel Closure:

The first full closure of the main navigational channel occurred this September. Approximately 70 closures are anticipated through the end of 2017 as project crews install new sections of structural steel and road deck panels between the towers of the new crossing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
How many lanes will the new bridge have?       
A:
The new twin-span bridge will have eight general traffic lanes – four in each direction. Space will also be provided for disabled vehicles, emergency responders and express buses and/or bus rapid transit. There will also be a shared-use path for bicycles and pedestrians.
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Video Captures the New NY Bridge Progress!

August 29, 2016 by

Three Years in Two Minutes

New Video Captures Construction Progress

The New NY Bridge project has become a symbol for what the state can accomplish.

Watch the new twin-span crossing take shape during the past three years in this new time-lapse video. From steel girders to concrete towers, from piles to road deck, from shoreline to shoreline, the transformation has been amazing.

Initiated by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the 3.1-mile New NY Bridge project is one of the largest active projects of its kind in the nation.

The time-lapse video debuted today as part of Governor’s Day at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, a 12-day celebration that shares the best that New York State has to offer. For those visiting the State Fair, you can check out the video at the Governor’s booth.

The video is also available on the New NY Bridge project’s YouTube page.

Those interested in a closer look are also invited to view the daily project progress via the project’s webcams and photo gallery as well as by visiting the New NY Bridge construction viewing platforms at Scenic Hudson RiverWalk in Tarrytown and Memorial Park in Nyack.

http://www.newnybridge.com/three-years-in-two-minutes-new-video-captures-construction-progress/ 

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

New NY Bridge Project August 2016 Newsletter

August 5, 2016 by
August 2016
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
  |    Home   |    Archives
Shaping Up:
Aerial Photos Capture Project Progress
The outline of the new twin-span crossing is emerging this summer as the project continues to make remarkable progress on the Hudson River. The Rockland and Westchester approaches continue to grow with rows of steel girders and hundreds of precast road deck panels. At the main span towers, crews are also installing sections of steel and roadway, and preparing the area for the new stay cable system.

Stay Cable Installation Begins:

The New York State Thruway Authority announced that Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC has completed installation of the first stay cables on the New NY Bridge project. The stay cables, along with the 419-foot towers, will be the most prominent features of the new 3.1-mile structure. The first two stay cables were installed by TZC on the new northbound bridge’s main span on Thursday, July 21, 2016.

Reaching New Heights:

In just half a year, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC has transformed the New NY Bridge project site by connecting piers, installing road deck panels and doubling the height of the new main span towers. The iconic structures now rise above the existing Tappan Zee Bridge, with TZC preparing to install the first of nearly 200 stay cables.

“Front Row Seat” to Progress:

With summer in full swing, the New NY Bridge project is making its most visible advancements to date. Those keen on observing the progress firsthand have a “front row seat” to the action, through the project’s viewing platforms and outreach centers in Tarrytown and Nyack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
Why does the current Tappan Zee Bridge need to be replaced?     
A:
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge opened to traffic in 1955 and is a vital artery for residents, commuters, travelers, and commercial traffic. The bridge, which was designed to carry up to 100,000 vehicles per day, currently handles an average of 140,000 daily, and traffic congestion and delays are regular occurrences. Heavy traffic, narrow lanes and the lack of emergency shoulders contribute to congestion and frustration for motorists and can create unsafe driving conditions. As a result, the bridge has twice the average accident rate per mile as the rest of the 574-mile Thruway system. In recent years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent to maintain and repair the bridge. If the current bridge were not being replaced, the state would need to spend an additional $3 to $4 billion over the next 20 years to ensure its structural integrity.
Get Your E-ZPass ® 

“On-the-Go”at the

 New NY Bridge Community Outreach Centers
View the latest issues of the
Visit NewNYBridge.com to subscribe for periodic email updates
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

TZ Bridge Tour _ Rand Commercial Day of Learning 7.18.2016

July 19, 2016 by

A view from the Hudson River is the best way to view the progress of the New NY Bridge . Rand Commercial agents spent the day navigating the waters and learning about the bridge building process. We lunched and saw the amazing progress that has been made and the daunting task that lies ahead.  A very special “thank you” to Dan Marcy of the New NY Bridge Project who guided us thru the site tour.

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New NY Bridge Monthly Newsletter July 2016

July 19, 2016 by
July 2016
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
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Rising Roadway:
Work Begins on Main Span Steel
Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC) has begun building the roadway for the new bridge’s main span.
In June, TZC installed four large pre-assembled sections of steel, weighing nearly 340,000 pounds each, atop the main span crossbeams. These steel segments will allow the team to build out from the towers one section at a time, attaching stay cables to the structure along the way. Precast concrete deck panels will be placed in the erected steel sections to provide a base driving surface.
Project Update 2016:

The New NY Bridge project has made extraordinary progress over the past year, with more than a mile of steel girders in place and new towers rising above the existing Tappan Zee Bridge. You can see the transformation for yourself in this narrated video.

Shared-Use Path Terminus Designs Selected:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that “Alternative F” was selected as the design for the New NY Bridge project’s shared-use path connections in Westchester and Rockland. The decision followed a thorough review of the alternative’s impacts and benefits to the local communities.

Safe Passage:

This Independence Day weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard, the New York State Thruway Authority, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) and local law enforcement are reminding boaters of the safety measures near the extremely active work site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
How much will the new bridge cost?    
A:
The project cost is $3.98 billion. This includes bridge design-builder Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC’s (TZC) contract cost of $3.142 billion and $600 to $800 million in owner’s (New York State Thruway Authority) costs, which cover project management, oversight, a contingency fund and some financing costs.
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TARRYTOWN TOLL PLAZA DEMOLITION CONTINUES

May 5, 2016 by

update

For immediate release: May 5, 2016

TARRYTOWN TOLL PLAZA DEMOLITION CONTINUES
Cashless Tolling System Now In Effect

Demolition of the deactivated toll plaza in Tarrytown continues as Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) removes the toll plaza structures on the four right-most lanes of the southbound New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) in preparation for the next shift in traffic, which is scheduled to occur in late May.

Survey work in the area will necessitate a midday lane closure, detailed in the chart below.

Lane Closures Near the Tappan Zee Bridge

DATE: CLOSURES BEGIN: CLOSURES END: LOCATION:
Tue., 5/10 10 a.m. – One right lane 3 p.m. Southbound Thruway
near the former toll plaza

Noise Barrier Construction
TZC will continue constructing noise barriers along the Thruway in South Nyack next week. The work includes constructing noise barrier foundations and excavating soil along the southbound Thruway between the South Broadway bridge and River Road. After the foundations are established, concrete panels that form the noise barriers will be installed. The barriers will be treated with sound-absorbing material to further reduce traffic noise to the nearby community.

TZC also will continue constructing foundation walls for the future highway and shared-use path along the northbound Thruway in South Nyack. The operation is scheduled to continue in the coming months.

Additional work includes:

  • Main span tower construction
  • Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
  • Rockland landing retaining walls
  • Survey inspections on the existing bridge
  • Westchester landings utility work
  • Girder assembly placement
  • Bridge road deck installation
  • Drainage structure installations

Boater Safety
Marine units are continuing patrols to monitor the construction zone and encourage all boaters to obey the established U.S. Coast Guard safety protocols.

The U.S. Coast Guard has established a Safety Zone surrounding 16 construction barge mooring locations at the project site. No unauthorized vessels are allowed in the Safety Zone. In addition, marine law enforcement will be enforcing the rules of the expanded Regulated Navigation Areas (RNAs) east and west of the Safety Zone. The RNAs stretch 500 yards north and 500 yards south of the existing bridge. Boaters are urged to transit the main channel with no wake at a maximum speed of 5 knots and to use extreme caution on the river at all times.

Mariners also should be aware that TZC will continue work in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge. TZC will also be working in the area left and right of the main navigation channel under the main span of the bridge. TZC will begin working in the main navigation channel, which will result in partial or total closure of same. Additional temporary navigational lights have been installed on the existing bridge to further define the 600-foot navigation channel under the main span. Permanent elements of the new bridge are lit per U.S. Coast Guard permit requirements, as are all moorings, barges and other equipment. All Mariners should consult the latest USCG Local Notice to Mariners before transiting this area.

More New NY Bridge boater safety information, including the U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners, construction site maps, can be found here at NewNYBridge.com. The page includes an interactive GPS map showing vessel locations on the Hudson River, detailing which vessels are stopped and which are in motion to a new location for recreational and commercial boaters to get current information on the very active construction zone. The vessel tracking map is for informational purposes and not intended for navigation.

All lane closures are subject to change due to traffic, weather or emergency situations. Please visit http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/ for real-time information regarding traffic conditions.

 

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NEW NY BRIDGE APRIL 2016 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

March 29, 2016 by
April 2016
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
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Tower Crossbeam Slideshow:
Final Crossbeam Installed on the Main Span
The new bridge moved another giant step forward this month as Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) installed the fourth and final concrete crossbeam on the main span. In addition to supporting the future road deck, the massive precast beams will reinforce the outward-angled towers as they grow to their ultimate 419-foot height.

Open Houses Held on Shared-Use Path Parking & Connections:

Rockland and Westchester residents voiced their opinions at a pair of public meetings this March as the New NY Bridge team presented detailed information regarding the proposed alternatives for the Shared-Use Path (SUP) parking facilities and connections in the villages of South Nyack and Tarrytown.

Standing Down for Safety:

Living up to its safety motto, “Take Zero Chances,” Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) recently held safety meetings with every member of its New NY Bridge project crew.

Supporting STEM:

Since the start of construction of the New NY Bridge in 2013, the project’s outreach team has partnered with local schools to engage nearly 40,000 students. The team’s presentations highlight the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics-collectively known as the STEM fields-to the design and construction of the twin-span bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
What is Cashless Tolling, and when will it take effect on the Tappan Zee Bridge?    
A:
Beginning on April 23, 2016, the new cashless tolling system will allow motorists to pay their toll while maintaining highway speeds on the Tappan Zee Bridge. The system will collect tolls via E-ZPass or Tolls by Mail, detecting classes of vehicles and applying the correct charge.
If you have E-ZPass, your toll is collected using the same process that you are already familiar with. If you don’t have E-ZPass, cameras photograph your vehicle’s license plate as it passes under the overheard equipment. A bill is then automatically sent to the registered owner by U.S. Mail.
Get Your E-ZPass ® 

“On-the-Go”at the

 New NY Bridge Community Outreach Centers
View the latest issues of the
New NY Bridge Magazine
Visit NewNYBridge.com to subscribe for periodic email updates
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Follow Us on Twitter
and Instagram 
Call the Project Hotline
1-855-TZBRIDGE
(1-855-892-7434)
Westchester: 2 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY
Rockland: 142 Main Street, Nyack, NY
Mon-Fri: 11am-7pm | Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm

Visit the Project Website
Email Us
Scenic Hudson RiverWalk Park, Tarrytown, NY
Memorial Park, Nyack, NY
©2016 New York State Thruway Authority
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

THE NEW NY BRIDGE MAGAZINE!

December 23, 2015 by

 
THE NEW NY BRIDGE MAGAZINE

Here at the New NY Bridge project, one of our priorities is keeping members of the community, like you, informed throughout the construction process. To that end, we would like to share our Winter 2016 Magazine,which chronicles the project’s latest developments.

In this issue:

  • Project Update: Substructure Nears Completion
  • Construction Update: Forging Strength
  • Educational Outreach: Inspiring Young Minds

 

Please enjoy the New NY Bridge Magazine.

 

READ COMPLETE MAGAZINE ONLINE HERE

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

The New NY Bridge November 2015 Newsletter

October 29, 2015 by
November 2015
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
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A View from Above:
Latest Aerial Photos Showcase Both Horizontal and Vertical Progress
As more and more piers are connected by steel-blue girder assemblies, the New NY Bridge project’s iconic towers continue to advance skyward.

Pushing Ahead:

As the summer turns to fall in the Lower Hudson Valley, progress continues to march forward on the New NY Bridge project. More and more of the high strength structural steel-blue girder assemblies are being placed across the Hudson River by Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC), largely with the help of the massive I Lift NY super crane. At both shorelines, however-where shallow waters prevent the use of the super crane-alternate methods were necessary, including the use of construction platforms. The Westchester landing posed a further shoreline challenge: how to safely install the girders over the Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line tracks?

[Video] Bridging the Tracks:

While most of the new bridge’s steel-blue girder assemblies are being placed across the Hudson River with the barge-based I Lift NY super crane, the location from the Westchester landing to the first pier in the river is inaccessible to the monumental machine. Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC is using an innovative yet simple alternative method to install the girders in this area, as detailed in this video.

A Pier with a View:

New NY Bridge fans looking for a firsthand view of construction from the Rockland shoreline now have a “front row seat” to the action. Nyack’s new fishing pier at Memorial Park is now open and offers spectators a sweeping view of the Hudson River and the bustling project site.

[Video] Moving Steel:

After successfully installing structural steel girders between the Westchester abutment and a nearby pier, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) moved forward with the next stage of operations this week. In a remarkable feat of engineering, crews carefully pushed the massive steel-blue materials further west, over the Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line and toward the next pier in the Hudson River.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
Why does the current Tappan Zee Bridge need to be replaced? 
A:
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge opened to traffic in 1955 and is a vital artery for residents, commuters, travelers, and commercial traffic. The bridge, which was designed to carry up to 100,000 vehicles per day, currently handles an average of 138,000 daily, and traffic congestion and delays are regular occurrences. Heavy traffic, narrow lanes and the lack of emergency shoulders contribute to congestion and frustration for motorists and can create unsafe driving conditions. As a result, the bridge has twice the average accident rate per mile as the rest of the 574-mile Thruway system. In recent years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent to maintain and repair the bridge. If the current bridge were not being replaced, the state would need to spend an additional $3 to $4 billion over the next 20 years to ensure its structural integrity.
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

BRIDGE BUILDERS PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE HURRICANE

October 1, 2015 by

update

For immediate release: Oct. 1, 2015

BRIDGE BUILDERS PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE HURRICANE
Marine Construction Work Temporarily Halted for Safety

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) is preparing for the potential effects of Hurricane Joaquin, which forecasters say could hit the Hudson Valley region in the coming days. In advance of the storm’s approach, TZC is implementing its storm preparedness plans, temporarily halting marine construction operations and the movement of construction materials, while securing the job site to prevent possible storm damage. By closely monitoring weather conditions and taking appropriate action in advance, TZC will ensure both worker and public safety while minimizing any potential storm-related downtime on the project.

TZC’s inclement weather preparation protocols include having tug boats on the water at all times, inspecting and adjusting all mooring lines, inspecting crane barges and securing all equipment, moving the large majority of cranes to shallow water moorings and taking all smaller crew boats out of the water. Additionally throughout every storm, TZC uses video and GPS to monitor the entire fleet of project vessels from its security operations center.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today activated the State Emergency Operations Center in Albany to monitor severe weather that is anticipated to impact southern parts of New York State beginning today and potentially lasting through this weekend.
Additional New York State storm preparedness updates can be found here:
http://www.governor.ny.gov/news

The following construction operations planned for next week will proceed as weather allows:

Steel Girder Installation
TZC will continue installing steel girders near the South Nyack shoreline. Safely accomplishing the work will require reducing River Road to one lane during weekdays between 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Flag persons will keep traffic moving by alternating the directional flow between north and south.

Smaller girder sections will be lifted into place by cranes from the Rockland trestle. Ironworkers then bolt together the girders and cross beams that will support the new bridge’s concrete road deck. In deeper water, the I Lift NY super crane will continue placing larger girders, averaging two placements a week.

A total of 31 miles of steel girders cumulatively weighing more than 100,000 tons will be installed for the new twin-span bridge.

All-Electronic Toll Collection Gantry Work
Construction of the project’s temporary all-electronic toll collection (AETC) system in Rockland County will continue next week with the installation of an overhead gantry above the exit 10 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) on-ramp to southbound New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287). The work necessitates overnight double-lane closures throughout the coming week. Specific lane closures are listed in the chart below.

 

Lane Closures Near the Tappan Zee Bridge

DATE: CLOSURES BEGIN: CLOSURES END: LOCATION:
Mon., 10/5 8 p.m. – One left lane
9 p.m. – Two left lanes		 6 a.m., Tue., 10/6 Southbound I-87/I-287
from exits 12 to 10
Tue., 10/6 8 p.m. – One left lane
9 p.m. – Two left lanes		 6 a.m., Wed., 10/7 Southbound
from exits 12 to 10
Wed., 10/7 8 p.m. – One left lane
9 p.m. – Two left lanes		 6 a.m., Thu., 10/8 Southbound
from exits 12 to 10
Thu., 10/8 8 p.m. – One right lane
9 p.m. – Two right lanes		 6 a.m., Fri., 10/9 Southbound
from exits 12 to 10
Fri., 10/9 8 p.m. – One right lane
9 p.m. – Two right lanes		 6 a.m., Sat., 10/10 Southbound
from exits 12 to 10

Tower Construction
The new bridge’s iconic towers will continue rising toward their ultimate height of 419 feet, aided by self-climbing jump forms. The state-of-the-art forms enable TZC workers to build the towers in segments that progressively “jump” up from the foundations to their full height. Within the jump forms, workers assemble steel reinforcement cages that are then encased in concrete, one segment atop the previous one and so on. Eight towers will be constructed on the project’s football-field-long main span pile caps over the coming year, as seen in this animation.

Installation of Noise Barriers in South Nyack
Next week will see continued installation of foundations for noise barriers along the southbound Thruway between the South Broadway bridge and River Road in South Nyack. The work involves drilling holes into the soil to install the foundations. After the foundations are installed, concrete panels that form the noise barriers will be installed. The barriers will be treated with sound-absorbing material to further reduce traffic noise to the nearby community.

Additional work includes:

  • Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
  • Survey inspections on the existing bridge
  • Westchester landings utility work

Boater Safety
Westchester and Rockland Marine Units are continuing extensive patrols to monitor the construction zone and encourage all boaters to obey the established U.S. Coast Guard safety protocols.

The U.S. Coast Guard has established a Safety Zone surrounding 16 construction barge mooring locations at the project site. No unauthorized vessels are allowed in the Safety Zone. In addition, marine law enforcement will be enforcing the rules of the expanded Regulated Navigation Areas (RNAs) east and west of the Safety Zone. The RNAs stretch 500 yards north and 500 yards south of the existing bridge. Boaters are urged to transit the main channel with no wake at a maximum speed of 5 knots and to use extreme caution on the river at all times.

More New NY Bridge boater safety information, including the U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners and construction site maps, can be found here at NewNYBridge.com. An interactive map showing vessel locations on the Hudson River is also available here for recreational and commercial boaters to get updated information on the very active construction zone. The GPS tracking map is for informational purposes and not intended for navigation.

Mariners also should be aware that TZC will continue work in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge. Additional temporary navigational lights have been installed to further define the 600-foot navigation channel under the main span. Permanent elements of the new bridge are lit per U.S. Coast Guard requirements, as are all moorings, barges and other equipment.

All lane closures are subject to change due to traffic, weather or emergency situations. Please visithttp://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/ for real-time information regarding traffic conditions.

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

The New NY Bridge Newsletter October 2015

September 29, 2015 by
October 2015
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
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Towers Taking Center Stage:
Construction Begins on New Bridge’s Iconic Main Span Towers
Building on remarkable construction achievements so far, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) is now beginning work on the new bridge’s striking main span towers. Utilizing self-climbing jump forms, TZC will construct the 419-foot towers in continuously-rising segments throughout the coming year.

Bridge Builders of Tomorrow:

In addition to employing more than 3,000 people to date, the nation’s largest bridge and highway project is enlisting the talents of the next generation of engineers, designers and builders. Through ongoing college internship programs, both the New York State Thruway Authority and Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC are engaging bright young minds to learn from, and contribute to, the New NY Bridge project.

[Video] Building Information Modeling:

Bridge builders are using 3D technology to create the New NY Bridge in a virtual world. By utilizing state-of-the-art building information modeling (BIM), designers can handle an astonishing amount of information with the utmost efficiency.

New NY Bridge Hallmarks: Teamwork and Innovation:

The New NY Bridge project educational outreach initiative recently kicked off its third year with a focus on the teamwork and innovation required to build the nation’s largest bridge and highway project. As in previous years, the outreach team will engage students throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond, visiting classrooms and hosting outdoor lectures at the project’s construction viewing platforms in Rockland and Westchester counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
Will the bridge look exactly like the artist’s renderings that have been made public? 
A:
The design of the bridge is subject to refinement as part of the design-build process. A Visual Quality Panel has been established to gather and consider public input and make recommendations on such characteristics as surface finishes, colors, lighting design, landscaping, and the shared-use bike and pedestrian path.
Get Your E-ZPass® “On-the-Go”at the New NY Bridge Community Outreach Centers
View the latest issues of the New NY Bridge Quarterly Magazine
Visit NewNYBridge.com to subscribe for periodic email updates
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Project Update: ICONIC BRIDGE TOWERS CONTINUE RISING

September 17, 2015 by
For immediate release: Sept. 10, 2015

ICONIC BRIDGE TOWERS CONTINUE RISING
Preparations for Girder Placement to Temporarily Reduce River Road to One Lane

Next week, the new bridge’s towers will continue rising toward their ultimate height of 419 feet, thanks to self-climbing jump forms. The state-of-the-art forms enable Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) workers to build the towers in segments that progressively “jump” up from the foundations to their full height. Within the jump forms, workers assemble steel reinforcement cages that are then encased in concrete, one segment atop the previous one and so on. Eight towers will be constructed on the project’s football-field-long main span pile caps over the coming year, as seen in this animation.

Structural Steel Installation
In preparation for the placement of the new bridge’s westernmost steel girders over River Road in South Nyack, TZC will reduce River Road to one lane between 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday of next week. Flag persons will keep traffic moving by alternating the directional flow between north and south.

The installation of girders over the river will continue next week and beyond. Smaller girder sections will be lifted into place by cranes from the Rockland trestle near the South Nyack shoreline. Ironworkers then bolt together the steel-blue girders and cross beams that support the new bridge’s concrete road deck. The I Lift NY super crane will continue placing larger girders, averaging two placements a week. A total of 31 miles of steel girders cumulatively weighing more than 100,000 tons will be installed for the new twin-span bridge.

All-Electronic Toll Collection Gantry Work
Construction of the project’s temporary all-electronic toll collection system in Rockland County is continuing with the installation of roadway sensors during the week of Sept. 14.

Specific lane and ramp closure times are listed in the chart below.

I-287/I-87 Lane and Ramp Closures Near the Tappan Zee Bridge

DATE: CLOSURES BEGIN: CLOSURES END: LOCATION:
Fri., 9/11 8 p.m. – One right lane
9 p.m. – Two right lanes		 6 a.m., Sat., 9/12 Southbound
from exits 12 to 10
Mon., 9/14 8 p.m. – One right lane
9 p.m. – Two right lanes		 6 a.m., Tue., 9/15 Southbound
from exits 12 to 10
Tue., 9/15 8 p.m. – One right lane
9 p.m. – Two right lanes		 6 a.m., Wed., 9/16 Southbound
from exits 12 to 10
Wed., 9/16 8 p.m. – One right lane
9 p.m. – Two right lanes		 6 a.m., Thu., 9/17 Southbound
from exits 12 to 10
Thu., 9/17 9 p.m. – One right lane
10 p.m. – Two right lanes		 6 a.m., Fri, 9/18 Southbound
from exits 12 to 10
Fri., 9/18 8 p.m. – One right lane
9 p.m. – Two right lanes		 6 a.m., Sat., 9/19 Southbound
from exits 12 to 10

Dredging Operations
TZC will continue the second stage of dredging operations near the Westchester shoreline next week as part of the preparation for removing the existing bridge and completing the landing of the new southern span. Dredging is allowed during a three-month period from August 1 to October 31 in specified locations and will be conducted 24/7 to complete the required dredging during the short window of time. The window was established to avoid impacting migration and spawning patterns of endangered sturgeon and other fish species.

Installation of Noise Barriers in South Nyack
Next week will see continued installation of foundations for noise barriers along the southbound Thruway between the South Broadway bridge and River Road in South Nyack. The work involves drilling holes into the soil to install the foundations. After the foundations are installed, concrete panels that form the noise barriers will be installed. The barriers will be treated with sound-absorbing material to further reduce traffic noise to the nearby community.

Additional work includes:

  • Landing abutment concrete work
  • Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
  • Survey inspections on the existing bridge
  • Westchester landings utility work

Boater Safety
Westchester and Rockland Marine Units are continuing extensive patrols to monitor the construction zone and encourage all boaters to obey the established U.S. Coast Guard safety protocols.

The U.S. Coast Guard has established a Safety Zone surrounding 16 construction barge mooring locations at the project site. No unauthorized vessels are allowed in the Safety Zone. In addition, marine law enforcement will be enforcing the rules of the expanded Regulated Navigation Areas (RNAs) east and west of the Safety Zone. The RNAs stretch 500 yards north and 500 yards south of the existing bridge. Boaters are urged to transit the main channel with no wake at a maximum speed of 5 knots and to use extreme caution on the river at all times.

More New NY Bridge boater safety information, including the U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners and construction site maps, can be found here at NewNYBridge.com. An interactive map showing vessel locations on the Hudson River is also available here for recreational and commercial boaters to get updated information on the very active construction zone. The GPS tracking map is for informational purposes and not intended for navigation.

Mariners also should be aware that TZC will continue work in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge. Additional temporary navigational lights have been installed to further define the 600-foot navigation channel under the main span. Permanent elements of the new bridge are lit per U.S. Coast Guard requirements, as are all moorings, barges and other equipment.

All lane closures are subject to change due to traffic, weather or emergency situations. Please visit http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/ for real-time information regarding traffic conditions.

###

 

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

New NY Bridge Project August 2015 Monthly Newsletter

August 4, 2015 by

An Aerial Tour:

Photos From Above Show Major Progress

The incredible progress on the New NY Bridge project is becoming more and more visible every day. Residents are literally seeing engineering history in the making. As part of their design-build contract with the New York State Thruway Authority, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) is documenting the construction using both still photography and video. TZC regularly uses a helicopter to get a bird’s eye view of the worksite and you can now see the new twin-span bridge rising out of the Hudson River in this slideshow.

READ MORE

Fast Tolls on the Horizon:

As travelers approach the Tappan Zee Bridge from Rockland County, they will soon get a glimpse of the future: An overhead gantry and related equipment is being installed at exit 10 on the southbound New York State Thruway in South Nyack for a temporary all-electronic toll collection (AETC) facility. Following a series of tests this fall, the system will be activated in spring 2016, enabling motorists to pay their toll while maintaining highway speeds. Like the Model-T and the 8-track tape player, the inconvenience of stopping or slowing down to pay a toll soon will be a thing of the past.

 

READ MORE

Galvanizing Strength:

Over 60 million pounds of steel bars will fortify the new bridge, more than three times as much steel as is in the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris. Each of the reinforcing steel bars, called rebar, is treated through a process called “hot-dip galvanization” that provides additional protection against rusting.

 

 READ MORE

Beating the Heat:

By the sweat of their brow, construction workers have made impressive progress on the New NY Bridge project. But with near triple digit temperatures increasingly becoming the norm, keeping more than 1,000 workers on the Hudson River at any given time hydrated is of paramount importance.

 

READ MORE
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
What will happen to the current bridge? 
A:
The current Tappan Zee Bridge will be carefully dismantled, and the structural steel will be recycled. The concrete deck panels, which have been replaced in recent years, will be reused where possible on other Thruway and state Department of Transportation projects.
Get Your E-ZPass® “On-the-Go”at the New NY Bridge Community Outreach Centers
View the latest issues of the New NY Bridge Quarterly Magazine
Visit NewNYBridge.com to subscribe for periodic email updates
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
 Follow Us on Twitter

@NewNYBridge
Call the Project Hotline

1-855-TZBRIDGE

(1-855-892-7434)

 Community Outreach Centers

Westchester: 2 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY

Rockland: 142 Main Street, Nyack, NY

Mon-Fri: 11am-7pm | Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm
Visit the Project Website
Email Us
Construction Viewing Platform

Scenic Hudson RiverWalk Park, Tarrytown, NY

Next to the Tarrytown Senior Center at
240 West Main St.
©2015 New York State Thruway Authority
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Tappan Zee Bridge Zipper’s days are numbered

July 23, 2015 by
A big yellow bus ran into the wall on the Tappan Zee Bridge, the caller tells the 911 operator.

“It’s not a bus. It’s us,” says Richie Lynch of Valley Cottage, one of the drivers of the barrier-moving machine that is still a strange sight for the uninitiated, even 22 years after first arriving on the bridge. Callers regularly report the vehicle as an accident in progress, Lynch says.

“Some people drive by and take pictures,” says Lynch, who has worked on the bridge for 25 years. “We get a lot of thumbs-ups for giving them the extra lane. And we get a different salute when we’re running late.”

Some call it “The Zipper” — because it acts like a zipper does, sliding the barrier from one spot to another — but Lynch and the four other members of the barrier team just call it “the barrier mover.”

Whatever the name, the 52-foot-long, million-dollar vehicle is now part of the bridge, a welcome sight for bumper-to-bumper commuters on whom it bestows a somewhat speedier ride through the Tappan Zee bottleneck, creating four lanes where there were three. It makes about 600 crossings a year.

In January, a Zipper was added to San Francisco’s storied Golden Gate Bridge. But the Tappan Zee Zipper’s days are numbered.

In December 2016, northbound traffic is scheduled to transfer to the new northbound span of the New New York Bridge. The two barrier movers — there’s an extra on standby, swapped in during maintenance — will be sold and will enter the lore of the Tappan Zee, alongside those pre-EZPass commutation booklets.

VIDEO BELOW: Ride inside the Zipper  

ALSO: What do the new TZ Bridge and a NASCAR track have in common? 

The Zippers — the second-generation of vehicle by California-based Lindsay Transportation Systems, in use since 2007 — move the wall 12 feet to the right, the width of a travel lane, in one fluid motion with every trip across the bridge. It used to take two machines to make the move.

The wall itself is second-generation, too. The original had concrete sections; today’s sections — there are 6,000 of them, each 3 feet long — are T-shaped steel shells with a concrete center.

There is so much more going on than meets the eye when the Tappan Zee Zipper is in motion. The barrier is shaped and reformed through hydraulics and an ingenious machine that acts like a chiropractor on a 3-mile-long Tappan Zee spine, adjusting and releasing tension in the wall — and in rush-hour traffic.

Driving and laying: The Zipper doesn’t drag the wall. It lifts it, snakes it through a double row of wheels in its undercarriage, and places it back on the deck. In a sort of push-me-pull-you configuration, a second driver — facing the shore from which the Zipper departed — “lays” the barrier back in position by keeping a wheel on one of the blue lines on the pavement.

“When you drive on it, all you’re doing is engaging it on the wheels and lifting it up,” Lynch says. “When it gets to the middle of the machine, that’s where it starts to shift it to the other side, and then the conveyor takes it down and sets it back onto the deck.”

“Bogey wheels:” The 104 wheels that engage the T-top and lift the barrier are called “bogey wheels” and glide the barrier up a railing under the vehicle and help it snake into its new position.

A “wow” in the wall: Ernie Feeney, a patrol supervisor and another original Zipper driver, says the wall sometimes gets a kink in it, when a motorist hits it.

“We call it a ‘wow,'” Feeney says. “Maybe somebody spun out and hit the wall. The wall gives now because it’s a giant centipede so your car doesn’t get totally wrecked like it used to be if you had a solid cement wall. A lot of people now just drive off with minor damage.”

When the barrier machine comes across, if there’s just a little “wow” in the wall, they can just drive straight through it. A bigger accident requires a wrecker and a push bar to get it close to its natural line.

Stop the Zipper: There are things that will stop the barrier in its tracks, Lynch says. “If there’s a jumper in the middle of the move, we’ll stop. If there’s a bad accident or if there’s an accident in the left lane or the two left lanes, sometimes we’ll bring the wall up to it and stop to protect them.”

Migration lines: Like rush-hour commuters, the barrier is under tension. There are yellow lines on the wall that correspond to lines on the deck. If these migration lines don’t line up, the Zipper driver can adjust huge capstan wheels to add or release tension in the wall to pull or push it back in line.

Hydraulics, Benjamin: “It’s all done by hydraulics,” Lynch says. “Your steering, your brakes, the drive motors, it’s all hydraulics. And those lines and fittings need to be checked every day to make sure they’re not leaking.”

Every 20 feet or so on the flat sections (and farther away on the inclines) there are single open-topped T sections. These “VLB sections” actually control the tension in strands of the barrier. They have hydraulic controls in them and open and close to allow strands of the wall to go slack and be moved. Think of it as pulling a 3-mile-long rope 20 feet at a time. On curves, there are more VLB sections to hold the curve in place until the machine reaches it.

No connection: The barrier mover isn’t connected to the wall. It has to drive onto the wall. When he’s driving, Lynch keeps a control bar centered over the wall ahead of him.

3 miles, 30 minutes: The move takes about 35 to 40 minutes, if the wall is in good shape. “If there’s more tension or compression, it might take a little longer because you have to go through it slower to make the adjustments,” Lynch says.

U-turns possible: Eagle-eyed drivers will notice three 45-foot sections of bridge where the T-tops appear to be hollow. There are three spots on the bridge — near either end and in the middle — where the barrier can be opened to allow for a U-turn.

Hello, I must be going: “The men and all of us are going to miss it,” Lynch says. “And I think the public’s gonna miss it, too. It’s nice to have an extra lane when you need it.”

NYS Thruway employee Rich Lynch drives the barrier-moving machine across the Tappan Zee Bridge, adding a lane northbound. Tania Savayan/The Journal News

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/tappan-zee-bridge/2015/07/16/tappan-zee-bridge-zipper-days-numbered/30142559/

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

The New NY Bridge July Newsletter

July 2, 2015 by
July 2015
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
Forward   |    Home   |    Archives 

Heavy Metal:

Bridge Starts Taking Shape with Installation of First Section of Structural Steel

Following months of careful planning and with the use of the project’s king of cranes, the New NY Bridge team installed the span’s first section of structural steel on June 17: a 410-foot segment of welded girders that will support the road deck.

READ MORE

Celebrate-and Navigate-Safely:

With the 2015 recreational boating season hitting full stride this weekend as boaters celebrate Independence Day on the water, the New NY Bridge project team and local law enforcement officials remain committed to helping all boaters navigate safely near the work area. Boaters are reminded to be extra vigilant around commercial vessels and the construction zone, especially the no-wake low-speed zone at the Tappan Zee Bridge.

 

READ MORE

Restoring the Reefs:

Oyster reefs were once a predominant feature of the Hudson River, supporting vast and diverse communities of aquatic life. But past decades of pollution and overharvesting led to a decline in oyster populations in the area to near-extinction. In recent years, however, there have been promising signs of recovery.

 

 READ MORE

Third Concrete Batch Plant Arrives:

The addition of a third floating concrete batch plant this week enables the New NY Bridge project to shift into an even higher gear. Capable of delivering 180 cubic yards of concrete per hour – more than twice as much as the initial two batch plants combined – the new mixing platform will supply concrete for the new bridge’s remaining foundations and piers as well as its 419-foot towers, which will begin later this summer.

 

READ MORE

[Video] Setting Sail:
First Steel Girders Arrive By Barge

After a stunningly beautiful trip down the Hudson River, the first 12′ tall, 400′ long section of structural steel arrived at the New NY Bridge construction site on Thursday June 10, 2015. The girder sections, weighing up to 1,100 tons are assembled at the Port of Coeymans in Albany County and then barged to the project site. The trip can take from 12 to 20 hours depending on weather, tides and other conditions. The individual steel girders, totaling 31 miles in length before assembly, are all made in the USA and will support the road deck of the new twin span bridge. The girders will be set in place by the I Lift NY crane in the coming days.

 

 READ MORE
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
How can my company apply for subcontracting work on the project?
A:
Businesses interested in obtaining contracts for the New NY Bridge project should reach out to Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC through the TZC website, TappanZeeConstructors.com.
Get Your E-ZPass® “On-the-Go”at the New NY Bridge Community Outreach Centers
View the latest issues of the New NY Bridge Quarterly Magazine
Visit NewNYBridge.com to subscribe for periodic email updates
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
 Follow Us on Twitter

@NewNYBridge
Call the Project Hotline

1-855-TZBRIDGE

(1-855-892-7434)

 Community Outreach Centers

Westchester: 2 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY

Rockland: 142 Main Street, Nyack, NY

Mon-Fri: 11am-7pm | Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm
Visit the Project Website
Email Us
Construction Viewing Platform

Scenic Hudson RiverWalk Park, Tarrytown, NY

Next to the Tarrytown Senior Center at
240 West Main St.
©2015 New York State Thruway Authority
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

June 2015 New NY Bridge Newsletter

June 15, 2015 by
June 2015
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
Forward   |    Home   |    Archives 

The Votes Are In, Tappan Zee Falcon Chicks Are ‘Hudson, Bridge-ette and Zee’:

A Day After Being Named, Falcon Chicks Make Inaugural Flights

Following a week-long campaign in which more than 3,000 ballots were cast, the New NY Bridge project is pleased to announce the winners of its 2015 falcon naming poll: Hudson, Bridge-ette and Zee received the greatest number of votes among 10 candidate names provided by local elementary schools.

READ MORE

Just the Right Light:

When it came to designing the lighting of the New NY Bridge, the project team’s strategy was twofold: accentuate the architectural features of the iconic crossing while at the same time respecting the context in which it is built: the historic Hudson Valley. To achieve this balance-while also maintaining high standards of efficiency and safety-the team engaged Domingo Gonzalez Associates, (DGA) a leading architectural lighting design firm based in New York City.

 

 READ MORE

2015 Annual Public Meetings, Taking Stock:

The New NY Bridge project held its annual public meetings in Westchester and Rockland on May 12 and 14, respectively, to give residents an in-depth briefing about construction progress to date and what lies ahead for the largest bridge and highway project in the nation.

 

READ MORE

Passing a New Milestone:

The New NY Bridge project crossed another milestone this week with the installation of the first precast pier cap. These large concrete fixtures sit atop completed pier columns and eventually will support the new bridge’s road deck.

 

READ MORE

Boater Safety 2015:
Piermont Channel Changes, Enhanced Marine Patrols

With the 2015 recreational boating season now underway, the New NY Bridge project team’s partnership with local officials is further enhancing safety on the waters of the Hudson River. As construction intensifies this summer, helping all boaters navigate safely near the work area is a top priority for the project team.

 

 READ MORE
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
How many lanes will the new bridge have?
A:
The new twin-span bridge will have eight general traffic lanes – four in each direction. Space will also be provided for disabled vehicles, emergency responders and express buses and/or bus rapid transit.
Get Your E-ZPass® “On-the-Go”at the New NY Bridge Community Outreach Centers
View the latest issues of the New NY Bridge Quarterly Magazine
Visit NewNYBridge.com to subscribe for periodic email updates
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
 Follow Us on Twitter

@NewNYBridge
Call the Project Hotline

1-855-TZBRIDGE

(1-855-892-7434)

 Community Outreach Centers

Westchester: 2 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY

Rockland: 142 Main Street, Nyack, NY

Mon-Fri: 11am-7pm | Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm
Visit the Project Website
Email Us
Construction Viewing Platform

Scenic Hudson RiverWalk Park, Tarrytown, NY

Next to the Tarrytown Senior Center at
240 West Main St.
©2015 New York State Thruway Authority
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

WORK CONTINUES ON TEMPORARY ALL-ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEM

May 4, 2015 by

update
Several Weeks of Weekday Overnight Triple-Lane Closures
on New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) Start May 4

Several weeks of weekday overnight triple-lane closures of southbound New York State Thruway (I-87/ I-287) will begin Monday, May 4. The Monday-through-Friday closures will start as early as 7 p.m. with the closure of one lane near exit 11 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) to the Tappan Zee Bridge, followed by a second lane closed at 9 p.m. and a third at 10:30 p.m. All lanes will reopen 6 a.m., Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m., Saturday. At least one lane will remain open at all times, except during the periodic traffic holds described below.

The lane closures are necessary to allow Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) to modify the highway for a temporary all-electronic toll collection system that will be employed until a permanent system is constructed in the location of the current toll plaza in Tarrytown.

In addition, periodic closures of all four lanes of the southbound Thruway in the vicinity of exit 11 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) will occur between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. during the overnights of Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday, May 7. To ensure the public’s safety, the New York State Police will stop and hold all traffic approaching the area immediately before the closures go into effect. Motorists will be permitted to enter the Thruway from all ramps during the closures. The complete closures are necessary to move equipment from the right shoulder to the left shoulder.

Finally, the exit 10 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) on-ramp to the southbound Thruway will be closed from 10 p.m., Tuesday, May 5 to 5 a.m., Wednesday, May 6. Drivers will be directed to use the on-ramp from Route 59 in Nyack, as shown on the following graphic. The closure will allow TZC to mobilize a crane that will place concrete slabs for the all-electronic toll collection system.

All planned work is subject to postponement due to weather conditions.

River Road in South Nyack
River Road utility work will continue the week of May 4. The work may require reducing River Road to one lane at times. TZC flag persons will direct traffic as needed and additional signage as well as other safety measures will be in place.

Foundation Work on the New Bridge
Marine crews will continue working on the foundations for the new bridge next week by placing reinforcing steel and concrete in the piles, main span pile caps and approach span pile caps. The high-strength concrete is made on site by the project’s two floating batch plants. Teams also will erect formwork for the cast-in-place pier columns, which eventually will support the new bridge’s road deck. With only a small percentage of piles left to install, pile driving operations will continue next week. Pile driving is restricted to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and noon to 7 p.m., Saturday.

Crews also will continue working on the bridge’s landings at the Rockland and Westchester shorelines. The abutments, comprised of steel and concrete, will serve as strong bases where the new crossing meets the landside roadway.

TZC will continue concrete placement for foundations near the South Nyack shoreline. The concrete for this work is being acquired from local concrete suppliers and is delivered by truck to the Rockland trestle located off the Thruway’s southbound access ramp. Trucks exit the trestle to the Thruway via the northbound access ramp. The access ramps are used only by construction vehicles, providing a safe route directly to the work site and reducing traffic impacts on local roads.

Additional work includes:

  • Pile cap foundation construction
  • Main span foundation construction
  • Concrete placement for foundations
  • Landing abutment concrete work
  • River Road utility work
  • Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
  • Survey inspections on the existing bridge

Boater Safety
The U.S. Coast Guard has established a Safety Zone surrounding 16 construction barge mooring locations at the project site. No unauthorized vessels are allowed in the Safety Zone. In addition, marine law enforcement will be enforcing the rules of the expanded Regulated Navigation Areas (RNAs) east and west of the Safety Zone. The RNAs stretch 500 yards north and 500 yards south of the existing bridge. Boaters are urged to transit the main channel with no wake at a maximum speed of 5 knots and to use extreme caution on the river at all times.

More New NY Bridge boater safety information, including the U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners and construction site maps, can be found here at NewNYBridge.com. An interactive map showing vessel locations on the Hudson River is also available here for recreational and commercial boaters to get updated information on the very active construction zone. The GPS tracking map is for informational purposes and not intended for navigation.

Mariners also should be aware that TZC will continue work in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge. Additional temporary navigational lights have been installed to further define the 600-foot navigation channel under the main span. Permanent elements of the new bridge are lit per U.S. Coast Guard requirements, as are all moorings, barges and other equipment.

All lane closures are subject to change due to traffic, weather or emergency situations. Please visit http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/ for real-time information regarding traffic conditions.

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

NEW NY Bridge 2015 Annual Public Meetings

May 1, 2015 by

The new NY bridge

You are invited to attend the New NY Bridge 2015 Annual Public Meetings, hosted by Brian Conybeare, Special Advisor to the Governor for the project. Members of the project team will discuss the remarkable progress being made, preview upcoming construction activities, and unveil some exciting new design features. Attendees will also be able to participate in a Q&A session with project leaders from the New York State Thruway Authority and Tappan Zee Constructors

Please attend one of the annual meetings listed below for more information:
 

Westchester County

 

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

 

Washington Irving Middle School  

103 S. Broadway

Tarrytown, NY 10591

 
Rockland County

 

Thursday, May 14, 2015

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

 

Nyack High School 

360 Christian Herald Rd.

Nyack, NY 10960
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , ,

The New NY Bridge Newsletter for May 2015

April 28, 2015 by
May 2015
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
Forward   |    Home   |    Archives 

[VIDEO]

Super Crane’s First Lift

One of the world’s largest floating cranes successfully completed the first of many enormous lifts for the New NY Bridge project on April 24, 2015, following months of planning and preparation.

READ MORE

Clearing the Air:

As Earth Day is observed, New Yorkers literally can breathe easier, knowing that the New NY Bridge project is being built with some of the cleanest construction equipment in the world.

 

 READ MORE

Inside Fort Miller:

As the New NY Bridge project begins its most intense stage of construction, one upstate business is busy manufacturing nearly 1,000 concrete deck panels for the crossing’s main span roadway.

 

READ MORE

[VIDEO]

The New NY Bridge project marked another milestone this spring as Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC placed concrete for the crossing’s northern Westchester abutment. The structure will support the new bridge’s landing and was formed by pouring over 650 cubic yards of concrete in one day. You can watch the entire operation take place in just under a minute.

 

 READ MORE

Visitors Welcome!:

In addition to educational outreach programs that have reached thousands of students, ongoing public presentations and a comprehensive website, the New NY Bridge project maintains two community outreach centers near the project site. Located in downtown Tarrytown and Nyack, and open seven days a week, the centers provide a window into the largest bridge and highway project in the nation.

 

 READ MORE
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
How long will the new bridge last?
A:
The New NY Bridge is designed to last 100 years before any major structural maintenance is required.

 
Get Your E-ZPass® “On-the-Go”at the New NY Bridge Community Outreach Centers
View the latest issues of the New NY Bridge Quarterly Magazine
Visit NewNYBridge.com to subscribe for periodic email updates
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
 Follow Us on Twitter

@NewNYBridge
Call the Project Hotline

1-855-TZBRIDGE

(1-855-892-7434)

 Community Outreach Centers

Westchester: 2 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY

Rockland: 142 Main Street, Nyack, NY

Mon-Fri: 11am-7pm | Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm
Visit the Project Website
Email Us
Construction Viewing Platform

Scenic Hudson RiverWalk Park, Tarrytown, NY

Next to the Tarrytown Senior Center at
240 West Main St.
©2015 New York State Thruway Authority
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , ,

SUPER CRANE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES FIRST LIFT ON

April 24, 2015 by

update

NEW NY BRIDGE PROJECT
I LIFT NY hoists massive 600-ton foundation element into place today

One of the world’s largest floating cranes this morning successfully completed the first of many enormous lifts for the New NY Bridge project, following months of planning and preparation.

In a carefully coordinated three-and-a-half hour operation on the Hudson River between Westchester and Rockland counties, the I Lift NY super crane hoisted and set one of the project’s largest precast concrete pile caps weighing in at 600 tons.

Video and photos from today’s lift will be posted here.

“We brought in the I Lift NY super crane to reduce construction time and cost, and this first lift is another symbol that the New NY Bridge is officially on the way,” Thruway Acting Executive Director Robert L. Megna. “The crane is a key tool to building the bridge in a safer, more cost-effective, environmentally-friendly way. With savings of more than a billion dollars for tollpayers, this super crane will continue to do great work.”

Owned by Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC, the design-build contractor for the New York State Thruway Authority, the super crane’s extraordinary capabilities save time and money while enhancing quality and safety by allowing large sections of the bridge to be pre-fabricated off-site and shipped by barge to the construction zone.

I Lift NY will continue to lift and place sections of the new twin-span bridge — some weighing from 900 to 1,100 tons — and will assist with the dismantling of the existing 60-year-old Tappan Zee Bridge, reducing costs and shortening the deconstruction process.

The super crane’s boom is 328 feet tall, which is taller than a 30-story building, and can lift up to 1,900 tons, or the equivalent of 12 Statues of Liberty, at once. Despite its enormity, the barge-mounted crane sits high in the water, thereby reducing the need for dredging on the project by 50 percent.

The I Lift NY super crane made a 6,000-mile journey from the San Francisco Bay area in 2014, passing through the Panama Canal.

Since its arrival here in New York, the crane has gone through months of testing, modifications and upgrades including a new high-tech computer operating system and complete replacement of its rigging cables. The most experienced operating engineers in the area also spent months of specialized training to carefully handle this massive machine. Now that the ice has cleared on the Hudson River, the I Lift NY crane is getting to work on the pile caps and later this year will begin placing the even heavier structural steel beams that will carry the road deck across the new spans.

New NY Bridge Progress
Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership and with the support of President Barack Obama and the Federal government, the New NY Bridge project has progressed dramatically since construction began in October 2013 following many years of delay. Since October 2011, steps forward include: enactment of new design-build legislation; review and completion of concurrent environmental review and procurement processes; negotiation of a project labor agreement with construction unions; and recommendation from a panel of local leaders and transportation experts for a comprehensive plan for mass transit options for the region – all with an unprecedented level of transparency and community involvement.

About the New NY Bridge
The New NY Bridge’s eight traffic lanes, four breakdown and emergency lanes, and state-of-the-art traffic monitoring systems will mean less congestion for motorists. Designed and constructed to be mass-transit-ready, the new crossing will be able to accommodate bus rapid transit, as well as light rail or commuter rail. The bridge will also include a bike and pedestrian shared-use path. Extensive measures are in place throughout the duration of the project to protect the environment and to monitor the impact of construction on surrounding communities.

I LIFT NY SUPER CRANE SPECIFICATIONS

Type of vessel: Floating Sheerleg Crane
Propulsion: None
Hull material: Steel
Lifting capacity: 1,929 tons
Length: 384 feet
Breadth: 99.8 feet
Depth: 22 feet
Boom length: 328.08 feet
Boom width: 65.7 feet
Min. boom angle for transport: 4 degrees
Min. boom angle for lifting: 19 degrees
Max. boom angle for lifting: 67 degrees
For more information or for photos and video of the I Lift NY super crane’s first lift, go to www.NewNYBridge.com

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Tappan Zee viewing area in Nyack could open in June

April 22, 2015 by

1406317305000-TZ-Tarrytown-Viewing-Platform-1JPG

LoHud ,Khurram Saeed, ksaeed@lohud.com4:54 p.m. EDT April 21, 2015

NYACK – Rockland residents will have to wait a couple of more months to get an up-close look of the new Tappan Zee Bridge getting built.

Construction crews this week will begin mobilizing equipment at Memorial Park in Nyack to build a new fishing pier that will house the viewing area.

The 90-foot-long by 30-foot-wide pier should be ready by mid-June, Nyack Village Administrator Jim Politi said.

The observation area at the end of the pier will feature several information panels about the $3.9 billion replacement project and the equipment being used. High-powered telescopes will provide an intimate look at what promises to be an extremely busy construction season.

While the official viewing site in Tarrytown’s RiverWalk Park opened last October, Nyack has run into problems that have led to delays.

Village officials had hoped the rebuilt pier would be ready to open last December.

“It took us three tries to find someone to put the pilings in,” Politi said of the project’s critical foundational element.

Politi said larger companies were too busy and perhaps the work was viewed as too small but all that bidding and rebidding added weeks, if not months, to the $200,000 rebuild of an old fishing pier, which received $150,000 from the state and $50,000 in Tappan Zee community fund money.

Soon after pile driving began at end of August, the project ran into another snag.

Crews installing the 40-foot-long wood piles hit a concrete barge buried along the shore.

“We had to figure out how to get through that,” Politi said.

Nyack Mayor Jen Laird-White turned to the state Thruway Authority for advice, and Tony Canale, one of the geotechnical engineers hired for the Tappan Zee project, helped come up with a solution. Canale lives in Yonkers and teaches a graduate course on foundation engineering at Manhattan College.

“We were happy to utilize some the world-class engineering expertise on the New NY Bridge project to help the village of Nyack with their new fishing pier,” said Brian Conybeare, adviser to Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the project.

With the piles now all in, the custom-made deck, wood railings, tables, benches, lighting and Tappan Zee-related materials remain to be installed.

Politi estimates that work will take the contractor, Ingannamorte and Sons of Tenalfy, N.J., six to eight weeks to complete.

By early summer, he said visitors and Tappan Zee watchers will have a place to “fish or sit and relax” with a “wonderful view” of the rising bridge.

Conybeare said the viewing platform will offer residents “a first-hand look at the historic project unfolding on the Hudson River right in their backyard.”

Twitter: @ksaeed1

If you go

The Westchester viewing platform for Tappan Zee Bridge construction is located at Scenic Hudson RiverWalk Park, 157 W. Main St., Tarrytown.

 

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/tappan-zee/2015/04/19/tz-nyack-viewing-platform/26048031/
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The New NY Bridge April 2015 Newsletter

April 1, 2015 by
April 2015
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
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Springing into Action:

Remobilizing on the Hudson River

As the Lower Hudson Valley thaws out from a particularly punishing winter, the hardworking men and women of the New NY Bridge project are remobilizing on the river.

READ MORE

A Solid Landing:

While frigid weather conditions have limited river work in recent weeks, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) has been forging ahead with the parts of the bridge that anchor it to the land: the abutments. Located at each end of the crossing, the stout abutments will serve as solid foundations for the bridge and the land-side highway.

 

READ MORE

Girl Scouts Explore Engineering:

On Feb. 28, the New NY Bridge (NNYB) project educational outreach team met with Girl Scout troops from Greenburgh and Elmsford to promote careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

 

 READ MORE

Inside Cofferdams:

The construction of river crossings present an engineering challenge: how to build in the water?.

 

 READ MORE
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
Who is the Project Director, and what are his responsibilities?
A:
Peter Sanderson was hired by the Thruway Authority to serve as project director for the New NY Bridge. Sanderson leads a team of state employees, and private-sector design and construction experts, with the goal of completing the new bridge on budget and on time. Among his past accomplishments, Mr. Sanderson was the lead for the I-35 bridge replacement project in Minnesota in 2007. Under his guidance, the I-35 project, projected to take 14 months, was completed in just 11 months.

 
Get Your E-ZPass® “On-the-Go”at the New NY Bridge Community Outreach Centers
View the latest issues of the New NY Bridge Quarterly Magazine
Visit NewNYBridge.com to subscribe for periodic email updates
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Project Update: Winter Weather Limits Operations

February 9, 2015 by

WINTER WEATHER CONTINUES TO LIMIT OPERATIONS AT NEW NY BRIDGE PROJECT SITE DURING THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9

Freezing temperatures and winter weather in the Hudson Valley continue to limit operations at the New NY Bridge project site. Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) has included a two-month winter shutdown in its schedule to account for winter weather conditions.

During the week of February 9, TZC will continue limited operations.

TZC’s inclement weather preparation protocols include having tug boats on the water at all times, inspecting and adjusting all mooring lines, inspecting crane barges and securing all equipment, moving the large majority of cranes to shallow water moorings and taking all smaller crew boats out of the water. Additionally throughout every storm, TZC uses video and GPS to monitor the entire fleet of project vessels from its security operations center.

As weather permits, landside crews are working to assemble formwork that will shape the bridge’s landings on the Rockland and Westchester shorelines. The abutments, which will be made of steel, concrete, will serve as strong bases where the new crossing meets the landside roadways.

Pile Driving and Other Construction Activity

As much as allowed by weather conditions, construction will continue in the Hudson River, where crews are placing the foundations of the new bridge. The work includes pile driving from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and noon to 7 p.m., Saturday.

TZC also will continue limited concrete placement for foundations near the South Nyack shoreline. The concrete for this work is being acquired from local concrete suppliers and delivered by truck to the Rockland trestle located off the New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) southbound access ramp. Trucks exit the trestle to the Thruway via the northbound access ramp.  The access ramps are used only by construction vehicles, providing a safe route directly to the work site and reducing traffic impacts on local roads.

Westchester landing foundation operations continue as crews work to construct the land based piers and abutment for the new bridge.

Additional work includes:

  • Pile cap foundation construction
  • Main span foundation construction
  • River Road utility work
  • Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
  • Survey inspections on the existing bridge

Boater Safety

The U.S. Coast Guard has established a Safety Zone surrounding 16 construction barge mooring locations at the project site. No unauthorized vessels are allowed in the Safety Zone. In addition, marine law enforcement will be enforcing the rules of the expanded Regulated Navigation Areas (RNAs) east and west of the Safety Zone. The RNAs stretch 500 yards north and 500 yards south of the existing bridge. Boaters are urged to transit the main channel with no wake at a maximum speed of 5 knots, and to use extreme caution on the river at all times.

More New NY Bridge boater safety information, including the U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners and construction site maps, can be found here at NewNYBridge.com. An interactive map showing vessel locations on the Hudson River is also available here for recreational and commercial boaters to get updated information on this very active construction zone. The GPS tracking map is for informational purposes and not intended for navigation.

Mariners also should be aware that TZC will continue work in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge. Additional temporary navigational lights have been installed to further define the 600-foot navigation channel under the main span. Permanent elements of the new bridge are lit per U.S. Coast Guard requirements, as are all moorings, barges and other equipment.

All lane closures are subject to change due to traffic, weather or emergency situations. Please visit http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/index.html?layer=incidents for real-time information regarding traffic conditions.

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Building a Landmark

February 9, 2015 by

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NEW NY BRIDGE BIKE/PEDESTRIAN PATH

January 23, 2015 by

More Community Input Wanted on Parking Facility Concepts  for Rockland and Westchester

bike path

Residents and other interested stakeholders are invited to provide comments on the new bridge’s shared-use bike/pedestrian path parking concepts.

Once complete, the New NY Bridge to replace the Tappan Zee will offer Hudson Valley residents a safer and easier commute, as well as a brand new 3.1-mile-long shared-use path for pedestrians and bicycles with stunning Hudson Valley views. The path will be perfect for a leisurely stroll, a challenging run or an exhilarating ride.

 

The project team has been working closely with residents, elected officials and experts for more than a year to develop the best design for visitor parking and other amenities. We completed a comprehensive study to determine the amount of parking needed, and an environmental assessment of the options is underway. Public meetings will be held to present the findings of the environmental assessment and take more comments from the public before any plans are finalized.

 

Now, we want your input on the parking options.

 

Please click here to view parking concepts. Comments will be accepted through Friday, February 13, 2015, and can be made via mail, email or fac (see instructions below). 

 

At the Westchester landing, the parking facility is planned on Thruway Authority property off South Broadway in Tarrytown. This site offers ample space for both parking and amenities.

 

For the Rockland landing, a variety of community-generated concepts are being studied to provide sufficient parking and amenities – including one on Thruway property at exit 10. At the Village of South Nyack’s request, the bike/pedestrian path’s entrance was moved from Smith Avenue to Cornelison Avenue at South Broadway. A $250,000 grant was awarded to the village through the New NY Bridge project’s Community Benefits Program to study the feasibility of redeveloping exit 10.

 

The parking facility concepts can be viewed at NewNYBridge.com/SUP and public comments can be submitted as follows:

 

Mail: Brian Conybeare
Special Advisor to the Governor for the New NY Bridge Project
303 South Broadway, Suite 413
Tarrytown, New York 10591

 

Email: Info@NewNYBridge.com  

 

Fax: 914.524.5455

 

Thank you in advance for your comments!

 
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Construction Milestone on the TZ Bridge

January 22, 2015 by

Another major construction milestone  on the Tappan Zee Bridge project.

“To get to this point is very big,” Tappan Zee Constructors construction services manager Ro DiNardo told The Journal News.

Over the coming weeks and months, there will be a whirlwind of activity on the $3.9 billion project in Rockland alone.

Watch them build this hulking structure known as an abutment, which is where the new crossing meets land.

http://lohud.us/1BJb9Iy

Lohud  Khurram Saeed, ksaeed@lohud.com, January 9,2015

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New Year of Construction Looking Ahead to 2015

January 7, 2015 by

New Year of Construction
Looking Ahead to 2015

December 31, 2014 |

With a fleet of approximately 130 floating cranes, barges, tugboats and other vessels working on the New NY Bridge, construction continues to move forward. The coming year will see the completion of the new crossing’s foundations and an increasing number of bridge piers across the Hudson River.

Early in 2015, the I Lift NY super crane will make the first of what will be hundreds of heavy lifts by installing a 600-ton approach span pile cap, a task that no other crane on the job can handle. Next year will also bring the completion of phase one of pile driving (phase two is scheduled for 2017, after the landings of existing bridge are removed); the installation of numerous precast approach-span pile capsby the project’s floating cranes; and the completion of the main-span pile caps, which will support the soaring 419-foot main span towers. The bridge also will begin to take its finished form, as segments of the road deck are mounted on the steel girders that connect the approach span piers. With the placement of thousands of tons of concrete and steel in the coming year, the project is steadily progressing towards completion in 2018.

Individuals keen on observing progress of the New NY Bridge project firsthand are invited to visit the recently opened Westchester viewing platform in Tarrytown’s Scenic Hudson RiverWalk Park. The platform is equipped with telescopes and a spotter’s guide, which describes the wide array of equipment on the river. The Rockland viewing platform, which will be situated in Nyack’s Memorial Park, is under development and is slated to open in early 2015. The project’s day-by-day progress also can be tracked from the comfort of home, thanks to construction cameras situated at various vantage points on and around the project site and accessible from the project website.

Here’s to another year of progress on this historic project in 2015!

http://www.newnybridgegallery.com/updates/new-year-of-constructionlooking-ahead-to-2015/

 

 

 

 

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Traffic Update thru Jan 4th to Ease Holiday Travels

December 30, 2014 by
For immediate release: December 26, 2014

ALL LANES OF NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY (I-87/I-287) WILL REMAIN OPEN FROM FRIDAY DEC. 26, 2014 THROUGH SUNDAY, JAN. 4, 2015 TO EASE HOLIDAY TRAVEL

All lanes of the New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) will remain open from Friday, Dec. 26, 2014 through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 to help New Yorkers reach their winter holiday destinations. The 10-day lane-closure-free period follows Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s “Drivers First” initiative, which gives priority to motorists by ensuring that disruptions associated with highway and bridge projects are kept as minimal as possible.

While Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will continue working in several areas of the project during the week of Dec. 29, none of the planned activities will result in the closure of any traffic lanes. No construction work is scheduled for New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, though safety and security teams will remain on site.

Limited concrete placement will continue as TZC progresses the investigation of the recent incident on one of its floating concrete batch plants. The concrete for foundations near the S. Nyack shoreline will be acquired from local concrete suppliers that will be delivered to the site via trucks to the Rockland Trestle off of the New York State Thruway southbound access ramp. The trucks will exit the trestle to the Thruway via the northbound access ramp. This work could begin as soon as this week.

Activities on the Westchester and Rockland landings will continue as originally scheduled as this work has always been planned to receive the needed concrete from trucks to the site.

Continued Demolition of Westchester Landing of Existing Tappan Zee Bridge
Following the removal of sections of deck of the existing Tappan Zee Bridge to make way for the new bridge, the associated supporting piers are being demolished. The majority of this work, which will clear the path for the northbound bridge’s landing and first foundation pier, will be completed during daytime hours.

Pile Driving and Other Construction Activity
Construction will continue in the Hudson River as crews place the foundations of the new bridge. Work will include pile driving from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Wednesday and noon to 7 p.m., Saturday. No pile driving will occur on New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015. Operations will resume on Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 at 7 a.m.

A second shift of workers also will continue pile welding, pile cleanout and concrete placement operations associated with foundations.

Work is continuing on the new bridge’s landings on both sides of the river.

Additional work includes:

  • Pile cap foundation construction
  • Main span foundation construction
  • River Road utility work
  • Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
  • Survey inspections on existing bridge

Boater Safety
The U.S. Coast Guard has established a Safety Zone surrounding 16 construction barge mooring locations at the project site. No unauthorized vessels are allowed in the Safety Zone. In addition, marine law enforcement will be enforcing the rules of the expanded Regulated Navigation Areas (RNAs) east and west of the Safety Zone. The RNAs stretch 500 yards north and 500 yards south of the existing bridge. Boaters are urged to transit the main channel with no wake at a maximum speed of 5 knots, and to use extreme caution on the river at all times.

More New NY Bridge boater safety information, including the U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners and construction site maps, can be found here at NewNYBridge.com. An interactive map showing vessel locations on the Hudson River is also available here for recreational and commercial boaters to get updated information on this very active construction zone. The GPS tracking map is for informational purposes and not intended for navigation.

Mariners also should be aware that TZC will continue work in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge. Additional temporary navigational lights have been installed to further define the 600-foot navigation channel under the main span. Permanent elements of the new bridge are lit per U.S. Coast Guard requirements, as are all moorings, barges and other equipment.

All lane closures are subject to change due to traffic, weather or emergency situations. Please visit http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/index.html?layer=incidents for real-time information regarding traffic conditions
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Tappan Zee Bridge December 2014 Newsletter

December 3, 2014 by
December 2014
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
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The Big Reveal:  

First Piers Completed

Like an artist unveiling a new creation, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) removed enclosing formwork to reveal the first of the New NY Bridge project’s vertical piers on Nov. 13. The column is the first of 86 piers that will stand in procession across the river to support the new bridge’s road deck.

READ MORE

Ever since he piloted his first crane at the precocious age of 12, New Rochelle native Ronald Burgess has been on track to one day take control of a machine as massive as the I Lift NY super crane. Groomed by his father, also a crane operator, Burgess has been an engineer for 30 years and is currently a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 137. His career has included work on high-visibility construction projects including the Yonkers Raceway and even the redecking of the existing Tappan Zee Bridge.

 

READ MORE

As the New NY Bridge begins to rise from the surface of the Hudson River, the New York State Thruway Authority and Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) are working together to ensure their growing construction team meets the very highest standards for workplace safety.

 

 READ MORE

To help travelers reach their Thanksgiving destinations, the New York State Thruway Authority and Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC paused certain New NY Bridge construction activities during the latter half of last week to keep all lanes open. While the holiday weekend and late November snow storm have passed, our winter weather driving tips will remain helpful to you in the coming months.

 

READ MORE

 

 

Read Complete Newsletter here: http://www.newnybridgegallery.com/updates/december-2014-new-ny-bridge-monthly-newsletter/
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Tappan Zee Bridge Fall Quarterly Magazine

November 28, 2014 by

In this issue:

  • I Lift NY Super Crane: New York’s Monumental Lifter
  • Educational Outreach: Building Bridges to the Next Generation
  • Project Update: Foundations for the Future
  • The New NY Works: An Empire State Economic Engine

 

fall-quarterly-magazine Page 002

 

Read Complete Newsletter here:

http://www.newnybridge.com/documents/publications/2014/fall-quarterly-magazine.pdf

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New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter_ November 2014

November 6, 2014 by
November 2014
New NY Bridge Project Monthly Newsletter
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Enter the Super Crane:

I Lift NY Arrives at the New NY Bridge Project 

 Following a 6,000 mile journey that included transit through the Panama Canal, the New NY Bridge project’s I Lift NY super crane arrived at the Hudson River construction site on October 6.

READ MORE

October 16, 2014 marked the first anniversary of permanent construction operations on the New NY Bridge project, and the past year has seen exceptional progress on the foundations of the new crossing. Looking ahead, the project is poised to make even greater and more visible strides in the coming year.

 

 READ MORE 
I Lift NY Completes Journey
I Lift NY Completes Journey
 

The I Lift NY super crane arrived at the New NY Bridge site on October 6. Here is a video of the powerful lifter completing the last leg of its 6,000-mile journey.

 

 READ MORE 

Led by the recently-arrived I Lift NY super crane, an armada of more than 30 floating cranes – each capable of raising immense structural elements with great precision – is hard at work lifting and placing many millions of pounds of components and materials to help build the New NY Bridge. These workhorse machines are critical to keeping the project on schedule for completion in 2018.

 

 READ MORE

Now in its second year, the New NY Bridge Educational Outreach Program continues to engage students of all ages in Westchester, Rockland and beyond. The program reflects Governor Andrew Cuomo’s goal of using the state’s largest infrastructure project to educate tomorrow’s professionals. This year, the team is focusing on the ‘how-it-works’ engineering behind the new bridge’s foundations.

 

 READ MORE 

Those keen on observing firsthand the progress of the New NY Bridge project are invited to the recently-opened Westchester viewing platform in Tarrytown’s Scenic Hudson RiverWalk Park. Located near the Tarrytown Senior Center at 240 West Main Street, the easy-to-access platform provides an unobstructed view of the project site.

 

READ MORE
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What will happen to the current bridge?
A: The current Tappan Zee Bridge will be carefully dismantled and the structural steel will be recycled. The concrete deck panels, which have been replaced in recent years, will be reused where possible on other Thruway and state Department of Transportation projects.

 

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=d87df910-023c-4eb5-b9f6-bcac7d294151&c=4897cfb0-a650-11e3-bc68-d4ae5292c426&ch=49f6ea80-a650-11e3-bcd8-d4ae5292c426

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Massive crane arrives at site of new Tappan Zee Bridge

October 7, 2014 by

TZ Under construction

By Judy Rife; Times Herald-Record

Posted Oct. 6, 2014 @ 7:33 pm

NYACK – One of the world’s largest floating cranes, in the wings in Jersey City since January, finally took center stage at the construction site of the new Tappan Zee Bridge on Monday. The crane, known as the I Lift NY, got the kind of gushing welcome that celebrities are accustomed to – including a declaration of love from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“I truly love this crane,’’ said Cuomo, surrounded by dozens of crane-ogling journalists and officials on a 149-passenger ferry off Piermont. “Every New Yorker should love this crane because it’s saving us a lot of money – as much as a billion dollars.”

The crane was a factor in the ability of Tappan Zee Constructors to win the $3.1 billion contract to design and build the new TZB, underbidding its two competitors by almost $1 billion in the process. Its superior lifting ability will allow much of the new bridge’s superstructure to be assembled off site and hoisted into place, slicing time and expense off the construction bill.

Darrell Waters, TZC’s president, said the crane will start work this week, and construction, concentrated in the river until now, will become more vertical and visible by the end of the year.

“We are 24 percent complete and we are on time and on budget,’’ said Waters, adding that 65 percent of the piles that will ultimately support the new bridge’s piers have been installed.

What surprised the welcoming party on the ferry was how ordinary the partially collapsed crane looked as it glided toward the TZB at four knots – despite sitting on a barge the size of a football field.

Its jaw-dropping size only became apparent when the ferry swung around it and the crane could be viewed against the bridge – and then it towered over the bridge and the 130 other pieces of construction equipment, including 31 cranes, in the water.

TZC will fill the barge with water and further collapse portions of the crane Tuesday in preparation for moving the I Lift NY beneath the bridge, 139 feet above the Hudson at low tide, Wednesday. Waters said he expects to have three feet of clearance.

As the ferry returned to Piermont, Cuomo was peppered with questions about what the tolls will be when the new bridge opens in 2018, a subject he has avoided in this election year.

The governor said that the state needs “a little more information” before it can speculate about the tolls. He pointed out incentives and penalties in the construction contract, as well as additional state or federal aid, could ultimately affect the project’s cost and the amount to be raised through tolls.

“It’s four years down the road,’’ he said.

judyrife@gmail.com

http://www.recordonline.com/article/20141006/NEWS/141009636/101008/NEWSLETTER100

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A Visit from the Past Original Tappan Zee Engineer Visits New NY Bridge Project

October 2, 2014 by

September 16, 2014 | 

The New NY Bridge Rockland Community Outreach Center welcomed a surprising visitor earlier this month: an engineer from the original Tappan Zee Bridge construction team. Jerry Sondack was in his late 20s when he helped build the existing bridge more than half a century ago. Now, as the replacement bridge rises out of the Hudson River, the 90-year-old World War II veteran stopped by to learn how the new structure is being engineered to meet the needs of the growing region.

As a young man living in New York City in the 1950s, Sondack heard about the Thruway’s plans for a new bridge and was eager to contribute. He approached engineers from Madigan-Hyland, the engineering firm that built the Tappan Zee Bridge, asking how he could get involved.

Eventually, Sondack was engaged full time on the project. One of the many former military men who worked on construction of the Tappan Zee, he says their experience in America’s armed forces helped foster a safe and efficient working environment amid the immense construction equipment and materials.

Sondack’s day-to-day activities included surveying the Tappan Zee Bridge’s caissons, which are hollow concrete bases that support much of the bridge.

Now, as the region’s growing population increases demands on the aging Tappan Zee Bridge, Sondack told project officials, “[Rockland] county needs a bridge of greater capacity; the old bridge won’t be able to handle this in the future. We need a new bridge that will sustain the flow of people into Rockland in the years ahead.”

Sondack observed the scale of the New NY Bridge project evokes the project he worked on all those years ago. “When you take on a project this grand, the amount of coordination and tight-knit supervision is extraordinary,” he noted.

Sondack’s work on the landmark Tappan Zee Bridge project boosted his career, helping him land future jobs and pursue other business opportunities. After the project’s completion, he settled in the Spring Valley area of Rockland County for over a decade. Now as a retiree, he looks forward to crossing the new bridge when the first span opens in 2016.

The New NY Bridge Community Outreach Centers in Westchester and Rockland counties are open seven days a week. For locations and hours, visit NewNYBridge.com/contac

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

T.Z. Bridge: State cops move to Rockland from Tarrytown

August 12, 2014 by

LoHud august 8, 2014 Theresa Juva-Brown, tjuva@lohud.com

If you’re looking for the state police station in Tarrytown, be prepared to drive across the Tappan Zee Bridge to Rockland.

Troopers have moved to 160 N. Route 303 in West Nyack, where they will share a 42,000-square-foot building with 28 Thruway Authority employees for the next four years. It also is housing the headquarters of Zone 1, which includes three state police barracks in the region.

The Thruway and state police leave behind an 18,000-square-foot building on Route 9 that will be torn down in the next year to make way for Tappan Zee Bridge construction activities.

“We were over there for 50-plus years in that barracks,” said state police Capt. Richard Mazzone, commander of Zone 1. “The move — when you’ve been in the building that long — is certainly a little difficult, but we certainly planned it well, and we’ve made the move rather seamless.”

 

1407530944000-sh080714police10 1407457197006-sh080714police07

 

Though the Tarrytown station is now in Rockland, it has retained its Westchester identity.

“We are referring to it as the Tarrytown barracks,” Mazzone said. “This is a temporary facility.”

In 2018 after the new Tappan Zee Bridge is completed, state police and the Thruway Authority will move back to Tarrytown to separate locations that have yet to be built.

For the past month, troopers have been settling into the transformed warehouse, the former Journal News printing plant. The new building has its perks — a lot more space — but also drawbacks — a lack of windows and natural light.

Mazzone said he doesn’t know of any problems with people finding the new location, which is a couple miles from the Tappan Zee, unlike the old barracks.

“As far as the 100 miles of roadway in Zone 1, the bridge is one of the most critical pieces of roadway,” he said. “It’s definitely going to be nicer when we get back in the new facility, where I can look out the window and actually see the bridge.”

That will be especially important because the new 3-mile crossing will have a path for cyclists and pedestrians.

“We’re certainly anticipating some additional responsibilities with the shared-use path,” Mazzone said.

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/tappan-zee-bridge/2014/08/08/tappan-zee-cops-move-rockland-keep-westchester-name/13795079/

 

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

PROJECT UPDATE FOR BOATERS

August 12, 2014 by

update

NEW NY BRIDGE PROJECT ESTABLISHES SAFE CHANNEL FOR PIERMONT BOATERS

Following collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, the New NY Bridge project team has installed channel markers near Piermont to help guide recreational boaters to and from the Hudson River Main Channel.

Soil borings will begin in South Nyack near the intersection of S. Broadway and Cornelison Ave. during the week of August 11 to inform preliminary design options. The samples of material will be taken in different areas to help designers understand subsurface conditions that may be experienced during construction. Some survey activities are also being performed to support these design investigations. These operations require temporary lane closures and traffic control measures including flaggers to maintain safety and movement of local traffic.

Construction will continue in the Hudson River as crews place the foundation for the New NY Bridge. Work will include pile driving between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 12 noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

A second shift of workers will also continue pile welding, pile cleanout and concrete placement operations associated with permanent foundations.

Sheet pile driving at locations on land and near the Rockland landing is temporarily on hold due to high noise levels from the operation. Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) continues to implement additional noise-reducing measures at sheet pile driving operations at the Rockland Landing and in the river at one of the closest piers to the shoreline. Sheet pile driving operations will continue as soon as noise is at an allowable level.

Work will continue on the Rockland work trestle near the shoreline, including pile driving. The trestle will support equipment used for the construction of the western-most section of the new bridge.

The U.S. Coast Guard has established a Safety Zone surrounding 16 construction barge mooring locations at the project site. No unauthorized vessels are allowed in the Safety Zone. In addition, marine law enforcement will be enforcing the rules of the expanded Regulated Navigation Areas (RNAs) east and west of the Safety Zone. The RNAs stretch 500 yards north and 500 yards south of the existing bridge. Boaters are urged to transit the main channel with no wake at a maximum speed of five knots, and to use extreme caution on the river at all times.

More New NY Bridge boater safety information, including the U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners, and construction site maps, can be found here at NewNYBridge.com. An interactive map showing vessel locations on the Hudson River is also available here for recreational and commercial boaters to get updated information on this very active construction zone. The GPS tracking map is for informational purposes and not intended for navigation.

Mariners should be aware that TZC will continue work in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge. Additional temporary navigational lights have been installed to further define the 600-foot navigation channel under the main span. Permanent elements of the new bridge are lit per U.S. Coast Guard requirements, as are all moorings, barges and other equipment.

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

Monday Aug 11 Northbound, Left Lane near Exit 9 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Monday Aug 11 Northbound, Right Lane approaching the Tappan Zee Bridge 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Tuesday Aug 12 Southbound, Left Lane approaching the Toll Plaza and Left hand EZ-Pass Lanes. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tuesday Aug 12 Northbound, Right Lane approaching the Tappan Zee Bridge 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Wednesday Aug 13 Northbound, Left Lane near Exit 9 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday Aug 13 Northbound, Right Lane approaching the Tappan Zee Bridge 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Thursday Aug 14 Southbound, Right Lane near Exit 9 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday Aug 14 Northbound, Right Lane approaching the Tappan Zee Bridge 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Friday Aug 15 Southbound, Right Lane near exit 9 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Friday Aug 15 Northbound, Right Lane approaching the Tappan Zee Bridge 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Ongoing Operations:

  • Permanent pile installation, including pile driving between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays, and between noon and 7 p.m. on Saturdays
  • Pile Cap foundation construction
  • Main Span foundation construction
  • Rockland Landing construction
  • Westchester Landing construction
  • River Road utility work
  • Rockland trestle construction, including pile driving
  • Survey inspections on existing bridge

Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle

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

Building the Backbone of the New NY Bridge

August 11, 2014 by


Main Span Bases Rise out of the Hudson

August 7, 2014 | 

Two enormous structures with bases the size of football fields are rising out of the Hudson River at the New NY Bridge project site. These concrete monoliths are the pile caps that will act as the structural backbone for New York’s largest bridge and highway infrastructure project, distributing the weight of the bridge onto dozens of steel foundation piles.

The main span pile caps will support the bridge’s 400-foot towers, and require months of preparation to complete.

To construct these main span pile caps, steel pilings are first driven deep into the riverbed, reaching bedrock hundreds of feet below the surface. Once all the piles are in place, a series of concrete floor panels is pieced together around them, outlining the footprint of the pile cap as the supporting base for its concrete pour. The team then positions heavy steel panels precisely around the edge of this footprint to form a massive tub, which is sealed to be watertight and carefully lowered into the river to bring its base to the proper final level for the concrete pile cap.

Next, workers build the pile cap’s reinforcement system inside this lowered tub. The team installs high-strength steel reinforcement bars, called rebar, to closely-engineered dimensions within the form.

The project’s floating batch plantsare then moved adjacent to the pile cap, and each form is filled with concrete specially formulated for long-term durability. The process continues over many hours until the entire footprint is covered with concrete to the specified depth. Once this steel-reinforced concrete hardens, the backbone of the new structure will have taken shape.

Learn more about how steel piles are transported to the project site, or installed with the well-being of local wildlife in mind.

 

 

Read complete Monthly Newsletter here:

http://www.newnybridgegallery.com/updates/august-2014-new-ny-bridge-monthly-newsletter/

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

Tappan Zee could be pathway to tourism in Rockland

July 3, 2014 by

Tourism experts say the new crossing and an enhanced bus system could lure tourists and their money to Rockland but officials need to start planning now.

Khurram Saeed, ksaeed@lohud.com11:25 a.m. EDT July 1, 2014

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SOUTH NYACK – Most of the talk about the Tappan Zee Bridge project so far has been about construction, noise and how the state will pay for the crossing.

But on Monday, the conversation took a new direction: the bridge as a money generator.

“You’re in a good place here right now, particularly with some of the development at the Tappan Zee Bridge and what’s going to happen,” Mary Kay Vrba, tourism director for Dutchess County, told 50 people at “Destination Rockland: Blazing New Trails in Tourism” at Nyack College.

A group of marketing experts, business leaders and elected officials saw visions of cash registers being filled up by tourists walking or bicycling over the bridge’s dedicated path into Rockland County. A revitalized bus system slated to be ready when the $3.9 billion span opens in 2018 could bring more.

Rockland Legislative Chair Alden Wolfe organized the three-hour conference, stating that it marked the “launching point” for further discussion.

Vrba drew parallels between the upcoming Tappan Zee path and the Walkway Over the Hudson, a 1.2-mile-long pedestrian walkway connecting Highland and Poughkeepsie that draws 700,000 visitors a year. Rockland has most of the ingredients to became a destination with its access to the Hudson River, a bevy of hiking trails and parks, and quaint river villages filled with stores and restaurants.

Downtown Poughkeepsie, on the other hand, lacks popular tourist draws like art galleries, she said.

“They walk the bridge and they say, ‘What next?’ ” Vrba said. “So you’ve got the what next, I think, with Nyack and Piermont and a lot of the shops and everything. You’ve got a product that you can work with. I think you have some real opportunities.”

Officials have the luxury of time to take a look at their towns and villages, address their needs and invest in a tourism plan, she said.

South Nyack and Tappan Zee project officials are still struggling to figure out where people who want to use the path will park in the village. The project team is expected to hold a meeting soon with several concepts proposed by the community, Mayor Bonnie Christian said.

Asked how they addressed parking for the Walkway Over the Hudson, Vrba said the land on both sides was municipally owned and purchased by the state parks department so they could be converted into paid lots. They also had the benefit in Poughkeepsie of parking garages six blocks away.

Veronica Vanterpool, executive director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign and a member of the task force that recently came up with transit recommendations for the bridge, said it was seeking a “transformation” of the existing Tappan ZEExpress service to entice more riders. There would be modern buses, traveling more frequently, utilizing technology like off-board fare collection, but some have said the plan didn’t work.

The system, known as bus rapid transit, is still in the conceptual stage. There are no cost estimates, and only $20 million in state seed money to date.

Twitter: @ksaeed1

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

CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF 6/23

June 23, 2014 by

update

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES ON THE NEW NY BRIDGE

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will continue work on the Rockland County landing of the new bridge.  The work will last several weeks and includes the installation of sheet piles, some measuring over 50 feet long.  These interlocking steel sheets will support the existing roadway during the excavation and construction process.  A large crane with a vibratory pile hammer will install the sheets, and be positioned behind a temporary concrete barrier in South Nyack.

In Westchester County, crews will conduct directional boring for future utility relocations under I-87/I-287 west of the toll plazas from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. the week of June 23.  The overnight operation requires the closing of various toll lanes.  Different tolls lanes will be affected as the work progresses.  The Thruway will remain open at all times.

Construction of the New NY Bridge will continue with pile driving between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 12 noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

A second shift of workers will also continue pile welding operations associated with permanent foundations.

Work will also continue on the Rockland temporary work trestle near the county shorelines, including pile driving to install the temporary foundations needed to support the platform. The trestles will support cranes for the construction of the western-most section of the new bridge.

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

Monday June 23 Northbound, Right Lane near Exit 10 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Monday June 23 Southbound, Toll Plaza Lanes 6-7-8 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
Tuesday June 24 Northbound, Right Lane near Exit 10 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tuesday June 24 Southbound, Toll Plaza Lanes 6-7-8 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
Wednesday June 25 Northbound, Right Lane near Exit 10 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday June 25 Southbound, Toll Plaza Lanes 8-9-10 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
Thursday June 26 Northbound, Right Lane near Exit 10 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday June 26 Southbound, Toll Plaza Lanes 8-9-10 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
Friday June 27 Northbound, Right Lane near Exit 10 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mariners should be aware that TZC will continue installing permanent piles in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge. Additional 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. An interactive map showing vessel locations on the Hudson River is now available on the project website, NewNYBridge.com, for recreational and commercial boaters to get updated information on this very active construction zone. The GPS tracking map is for informational purposes and not intended for navigation.  More New NY Bridge boater safety information, including the U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners and construction site maps, can be found here.

Ongoing Operations:

  • Permanent pile installation, including pile driving between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays, and between noon and 7 p.m. on Saturdays
  • Rockland Landing construction
  • Westchester Landing utility relocations
  • River Road utility work
  • Rockland trestle construction, including pile driving
  • Survey inspections on existing bridge
  • Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline
  • Armoring of Dredge channel
  • Relocation/Moving to the Temporary Joint Facility at exit 12
Filed Under: Governor Cuomo, Tappan Zee Bridge Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

State to loan $511M for new TZ Bridge

June 17, 2014 by

LoHud; Joseph Spector, TJN3:03 p.m. EDT June 16, 2014

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The state’s Environmental Facilities Corp. said today it will loan up to $511 million to the new Tappan Zee Bridge project, a move that will help with the financing of the $3.9 billion project.It’s the latest effort by the state to fund the bridge and limit toll increases when the new 3-mile span across the Hudson River is completed in 2018.“As we continue to see progress on the New NY Bridge, it is essential that actions are taken to protect wildlife and address the project’s environmental impacts – but in a way that doesn’t overburden taxpayers and drivers,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement obtained by Gannett.

The loan, which is financed through federal aid, will be used for environmental protection and Hudson River restoration projects related to the bridge’s construction. The projects include protecting water quality and marine life in the Hudson River estuary, including endangered sturgeon, oyster beds and other habitats.The loan comes through the EFC’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund. State officials said it won’t impact other projects.It’s the newest loan for the project. The largest loan, $1.6 billion, was announced last year by the federal Department of Transportation.

With the low-interest loans, state officials said it will help keep tolls down on the new bridge, which is being financed through the state Thruway Authority. The round-trip toll on the current bridge is $5, but there have been concerns that it could go as high as $14 on the new bridge.The Thruway Authority will need to approve the loan and is expected to start using it in August, state officials said.The Environmental Facilities Corp. is the financing arm for the state to provide low-interest loans to local governments and agencies for drinking water, wastewater infrastructure and other clean-water projects.Last year, EFC financed close to $2 billion in clean-water investments statewide, a news release from Cuomo’s office said.

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/politics-on-the-hudson/2014/06/16/state-loan-511m-new-tz-bridge/10627953/

 

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

Pile work for Tappan Zee Bridge starting in South Nyack

June 11, 2014 by

Khurram Saeed, ksaeed@lohud.com

Sheet piles will be installed just off River Road to create a temporary support wall for the Rockland landing of the new bridge.

Work is starting later this week to install 60-foot-long flat sheet piles along the northbound Thruway near River Road. The work will last about three weeks and take place only during the day, said Carla Julian, spokeswoman for bridge builder Tappan Zee Constructors. The sheet piles, which are different from the round pipe piles being used in the Hudson, will create a temporary continuous wall that will support the Thruway during the excavation and construction for the Rockland landing of the new bridge, Julian said in an email.

About 45 to 50 sheets are needed to cover approximately 100 feet, and crews typically average three piles per day, Julian saidThe site formerly housed a state Thruway Authority maintenance building; it was demolished a few weeks ago. A 165-foot tall crane positioned just off River Road will install the piles into the ground using a vibratory hammer, an alternative to louder pile driving.

The interlocking sheets are installed in sequence. Julian said crews first install a 25-foot-high template, lift and swing a sheet into the template, position it and drive enough of the pile to stand in the template, drive additional sheets, move the template and drive the piles the remaining depth.”The actual pile driving is the fastest part of the process and is not done in one shot,” she said.Tappan Zee Constructors crews are expected to be on the site Wednesday to mobilize and plan to begin work on Thursday or Friday.The pile work will require the closure of the right lane on the northbound Thruway for some of the operation, Julian said.

The lane will be closed this week from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. The project team has a video on YouTube providing an animated look at the construction of the new bridge’s main span foundation and towers.

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/tappan-zee-bridge/2014/06/10/pile-work-tappan-zee-bridge-starting-south-nyack/10280581/

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

Tappan Zee Bridge contracts ensure ‘disadvantaged’ aren’t left out

April 17, 2014 by

tjuva@lohud.com11:22 p.m. EDT April 16, 2014

The Tappan Zee Bridge project has been a dream opportunity for small, budding businesses. And companies headed by women and ethnic and racial minorities are getting their own chances to score work on the $3.9 billion bridge replacement project, through a government effort to give a boost to certain groups that have historically been excluded from business opportunities.

The New York State Thruway Authority and bridge builder Tappan Zee Constructors is setting aside $314 million — 10 percent of the bridge construction cost — for companies certified as “disadvantaged business enterprises” by the federal government. Because the federal government is providing a low-interest loan to help pay for the Tappan Zee replacement, it requires that such companies are included. Brian Conybeare, special adviser to Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the project, said the project team has made a big effort to ensure those firms are included, “which will help them prosper, grow their businesses and employ more local workers.” So far, 60 certified DBEs have contributed to the project, totaling $49.7 million in subcontracts.

Here are some of their stories.

 From ironworker to business owner, Mike Aponte can still vividly recall his first day as an ironworker nearly 30 years ago. Aponte, now 48, was assigned to get coffee for crews building a high-rise on Wall Street.

“Never been up that high — I was shaking in my boots, but I didn’t show it to the men. That was some experience,” Aponte recalled.After working his way up from an ironworker to a foreman to a project supervisor, seven years ago Aponte became the president of his own steel construction company, Tyrek Heights Erectors Inc., a certified DBE based in Yonkers.”In general there has been the misconception that you can’t find a qualified a DBE — that’s not true,” he said. “There are many that are capable and put out quality work. We are not taking advantage of it. We actually perform. We know what we are doing.”So far, his company has done steel work at the TZC office on the Hudson Harbor property in Tarrytown. The firm has also removed and installed steel at the West Nyack building where the state police and Thruway Authority facilities will be temporarily relocated during bridge construction.

Still, Aponte has his sights set on the new structure”I would love to be part of the team that is going to erect and build the bridge,” he said. “To say one day to my grandkids, ‘I was part of this bridge,’ would be great.”

 

In the business of construction, Mahopac native Leigh Scirbona has never been daunted by working in a male-dominated industry. In her 20s, she began working for a highway construction company, reviewing contracts and handling project documents. For the last 25 years, Scirbona, now 56, has headed her own general contracting and concrete company, Advanced Contracting Concepts. The company has done work for the Walkway Over the Hudson project, Westchester and state parks and the New York State Bridge Authority. “I still have people who call me and say, ‘Honey, let me speak to your boss,’ ” she said. “It is still entertaining when they do that.” Last year, she expanded the company to construction administrative support services and landed work on the Tappan Zee project.  “A little over a year later, I’m on one of the largest design-build projects in the United States and one of the largest projects in New York state,” she said. “It’s been terrific.”

When TZC officials called her last year about finding them an office receptionist, Scirbona quickly responded. Not wanting to lose the chance, she worked the job herself for a week until she found someone permanent for the position. Scirbona has six employees as part of the Tappan Zee team, including the project’s documents control manager and a senior administrative assistant, and she hopes to keep expanding the list.The DBE program is critical to ensure all kinds of business owners are included in major infrastructure projects, she said.

“It doesn’t make us less qualified, less intelligent, less capable,” she said. “Without this program, smaller contractors wouldn’t get looked at.”

 

Husband and wife

Cynthia and John Behan share a business, but Cynthia is the one in charge “She really is the boss,” said her husband, co-owner of Behan Planning and Design, a landscape architecture and project planing firm and certified DBE. “She makes all the financial decisions. She makes all the hiring decisions. My role is now securing new work.” Such as the Tappan Zee project. The Behans’ firm, based in Saratoga Springs with a location in New City, has a subcontract with a public relations group hired by TZC. So far, the Behans’ company has helped organize Tappan Zee community outreach meetings and create public newsletters and presentations.

“To have this project that’s running steady for a while, it’s stabilizing for us,” said Cynthia Behan, 58, a landscape architect who also worked on the New City streetscape revitalization. John Behan, also 58, said his wife’s design knowledge is especially helpful when they are asked to put together presentations. “When we get technical documents from the engineers, she can understand the engineer drawings and help present them to the public,” he said. While their Rockland location only has one employee, the couple hopes more work on the project will allow them to hire a second one later this year.

How is a “disadvantaged business enterprise” defined?

The small company must be 51 percent owned by one or more “socially and economically disadvantaged” individuals, which are women and racial and ethnic minority groups.

Business revenue and the owner’s personal net worth are used to determine whether a company qualifies. Government officials conduct personal interviews, business visits and reviews of license and financial records before a firm is certified.

Source: New York State Thruway/U.S. Department of Transportation

TZB firms by the numbers

A total of 135 companies have worked on the project so far, totaling $432 million in subcontracts.

Of those, 60 are considered DBEs, with those subcontracts totaling $49.7 million.

$314 million has been set aside for DBEs

Source: Tappan Zee Constructors

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

TZ Task Force Nears Final Meeting

February 26, 2014 by

Top Photo

For the past year, the Tappan Zee Bridge Mass Transit Task Force has been
developing recommendations for services on the new bridge.
Times Herald-Record
Published: 2:00 AM – 02/26/14

TARRYTOWN — The Tappan Zee Bridge Mass Transit Task Force will hold its final meeting Friday and release the short-, mid- and long-term recommendations that its 31 members have developed over the past year.

The recommendations, contained in a 26-page executive summary, offer no surprises and no guarantees that any of them will ever be implemented. The summary will be followed next month with a report that details the actions that Rockland and Westchester counties could take to advance the short-term recommendations for new express bus routes as well as estimates of potential costs.

The task force has never identified a source of funding for transit improvements, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s staff has forcefully steered members away from any suggestions with hefty price tags on the grounds that it can’t afford a new bus rapid transit or commuter rail system and a new $3.9 billion bridge.

Recommendations

The Tappan Zee Bridge Mass Transit Task Force will formally present the recommendations that have been developed over the past year Friday. They include:

Short-term (between now and the new bridge’s completion in 2018)

• Modify existing bus service in Rockland and Westchester to create seven express routes between Suffern and Nanuet and Tarrytown, White Plains and Yonkers, and between White Plains and Tarrytown, Port Chester, Valhalla and The Bronx.

• Install technology that manages traffic flow through ramp metering, signal prioritization and queue jumping, as well as a bus-only lane on the new bridge, to improve travel times.

• Use specially designed buses to differentiate the new service from existing services, and adopt a common fare structure.

• Advance studies of a transit hub in White Plains, reconstruction of the Thruway’s Interchange 10 in South Nyack and construction of a new Thruway interchange at Route 59 in Monsey. Mid-term (up to 15 years after the new bridge’s completion)

• Create a White Plains transit hub around the train station.

• Reconstruct Interchange 11.

• Construct a bus station in the Thruway median and a pedestrian bridge from the Palisades Center.

• Make improvements to Rockland train service on the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines. Long-term (more than 15 years after the new bridge’s completion)

• Pursue revival of passenger rail service on the now freight-only West Shore line in Rockland.

• Consider development of Rockland-to-Westchester commuter rail or light rail.

“We’re not getting a 21st century bridge if we’re not getting mass transit,” said Nancy Proyect, president of the Orange County Citizens Foundation. “We’re not really doing BRT; we’re doing express buses. It’s not a 21st century solution for a 21st century bridge or a 21st century state.”

Proyect, who has advocated for new transit services in the Tappan Zee corridor over the past decade and attended many of the task force’s meetings, predicted the state and the region will come to regret this failure to fund significant improvements in conjunction with the new bridge’s construction.

Before Gov. Cuomo took office and fast-tracked the TZB’s replacement, the state had been pursuing a true BRT system with dedicated travel lanes and stations across the two counties that buses from Orange County could have used. But Cuomo eliminated transit elements from the project, citing high costs and ample opportunity for adding services in the future to what would be a “transit-ready” bridge.

Rockland and Westchester counties then forced Cuomo to form the task force to keep the prospect of transit improvements alive in exchange for their support of the new bridge.

The meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Tarrytown Senior Center at 240 W. Main St., on the village’s waterfront.

judyrife@gmail.com

 http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140226/BIZ/402260341/-1/NEWSLETTER100

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

Port Expected in Newburgh NY

January 31, 2014 by
By James Walshbilde (1)
Times Herald-Record
Published: 2:00 AM – 01/31/14

CITY OF NEWBURGH — A riverfront company aims to build a port on the Hudson from which it can transport decking for the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

Officials of Steelways Inc. and the city will join federal and state officials Friday morning to announce the effort, which Steelways spokeswoman Susan Sullivan said could bring 150 jobs over three years.

Mayor Judy Kennedy and Councilwoman Genie Abrams declined to discuss details of the plan in advance of Friday’s announcement, though both spoke glowingly — in general terms, anyway — of its potential. Among the expected attendees are Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-Cold Spring, state Sen. William Larkin, R-C-Cornwall-on-Hudson, and Assemblyman Frank Skartados, D-Milton.

“This project has such potential,” Kennedy said. “It can truly change the economics of Newburgh.: Abrams said: “It will be very good news for the people of Newburgh, the kind of news we haven’t heard in 50 years.”

Sullivan said the company will bid on Friday to supply precast concrete decking for the new Tappan Zee Bridge. The contract will likely be awarded within a few weeks. Steelways can begin work on the port in April and complete the project by late summer. The company’s website says its 60 waterfront acres already include a shipyard with three sheltered harbors.

It has concrete marine launchways capable of accommodating vessels up to 300 feet long and 125 feet wide, and a marine railway capable of hauling 500-ton vessels. The main shipping channel runs adjacent to Steelways’ main pier, according to the site.

A resolution adopted Monday by the City Council expressed its “conceptual support of the Port of Newburgh project,” saying it will boost Newburgh’s economy by creating high-paying jobs and providing job-training opportunities for city residents.

Thomas Wright, a co-owner of Atlas Industries, a furniture designer and maker in the city, said who gets the potential jobs is important. “Jobs are great, but where do the people eat and live?” Wright said. “Are they people from Middletown driving to a parking lot, or people in Newburgh walking from their home in the city?”

Newburgh was once such a busy port that it had its own U.S. Customs office. Sailing ships were built at the waterfront in the 18th century. Navy ships were docked in Newburgh for repairs and reconstruction during World War II, said Mary McTamaney, the city’s historian. The Newburgh waterfront was where farmers brought their produce for shipping to New York City and beyond. “We were a transportation city,” McTamaney said. “We brought the goods of Orange County and the region to market, mostly downriver.”

jwalsh@th-record.com

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140131/NEWS/401310366

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

Muscular West Coast Worker is on way to Build New Tappan Zee Bridge

January 28, 2014 by

NY Times January 27,2014 , Joseph Berger

Read complete NY Times article here:  http://nyti.ms/1jZ4Pm9

A 6,000 mile journey from San Francisco to NY; this might crane will rise to build the New NY Bridge!

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Watch Time Lapse Video here: Passing thru the Panama Canal

tappanzee-videoSixteenByNine540

 

 

 

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

No Construction For Christmas Day!

December 21, 2013 by

The new NY bridge

For immediate release: December 20, 2013

NO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR CHRISTMAS DAY, RAMP RE-OPENS TO ACCOMMODATE HOLIDAY TRAVELERS

No construction activities are scheduled for the New NY Bridge project on Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25, and the Tarrytown entrance ramp from South Broadway to the Tappan Zee Bridge has been temporarily re-opened to traffic to accommodate holiday travelers.

Referred to as “Ramp E” by the New York State Thruway Authority, the ramp from Route 9 southbound to I-87/I-287 was closed earlier this month to allow Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) to utilize the area surrounding the ramp for construction access to keep construction vehicles off local streets, perform underground utility work and shift Thruway traffic headed toward the Tappan Zee Bridge onto the ramp area in 2014.

The ramp, which has routinely closed for bridge-related maintenance projects, will close again in January and will remain closed for the duration of the project. Its complete closure is required for the construction of the New NY Bridge, and to ensure safety for the traveling public and construction workers.

Excavation and preparation for the installation of permanent sound barriers continues along I-87 northbound/I-287 westbound in the area south of exit 10 in Rockland County.

This weekend, one of the country’s most famous floating cranes will weigh anchor and begin its journey, traveling from Oakland Harbor, near San Francisco, to the site of the New NY Bridge project. Named “The Left Coast Lifter” for its use in the replacement of the eastern span of the San Francisco—Oakland Bay Bridge, the floating crane will be used in the construction of the New NY Bridge.

A highly experienced crew of mariners will guide the 400-foot-long crane along the West Coast, through the Panama Canal and the Gulf of Mexico, and then up the East Coast before arriving in the Hudson River. The trip is approximately 6,000-miles long and will take between six and eight weeks to complete.

Mariners should be aware that TZC will be installing permanent piles in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing 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. 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. 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 can be found on the project website at NewNYbridge.com under the “Boater Safety” icon.

Ongoing Operations:
• Rockland access ramp modifications
• Armoring of dredge channel
• River Road utility work
• Test pile program
• Permanent pile installation
• Temporary Rockland trestle construction, including pile driving on weekdays7 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: , , , , ,

Construction Continues From US9 to TZ Bridge

December 7, 2013 by
new

For immediate release: December 6, 2013

INSTALLATION OF PERMANENT PILES CONTINUES,
TARRYTOWN RAMP FROM US9 SOUTH TO TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE CLOSES

Construction activities continue on the foundations for the New NY Bridge with the ongoing installation of permanent piles.

The entrance ramp to the Tappan Zee Bridge (I-87 northbound/I-287 westbound) from South Broadway (Route 9) in Tarrytown is now closed to traffic for the duration of the New NY Bridge project. Signs are in place to direct motorists to the entrance ramp located nearby on White Plains Road (Route 119.)

As a result of the closure, motorists who wish to travel northbound/ westbound on the Thruway are directed to bear right immediately after the closed ramp, onto what is referred to as the “jughandle” for Route 119. Motorists will proceed approximately 0.2 miles east on Route 119, turning right onto the I-87 northbound/I-287 westbound entrance ramp.
Walkways along South Broadway will be maintained for pedestrian use.

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will utilize the area surrounding the ramp for storage and staging, which will in turn reduce the amount of construction traffic on local roadways. Complete closure is required for the construction of the New NY Bridge in order to ensure safety for motorists and project workers.

Excavation and preparation work for installation of permanent sound barriers continues along I-87 northbound /I-287 westbound in the area south of exit 10 in Rockland County. From Monday, Dec. 9 to Thursday, Dec. 12, one northbound right-hand lane and shoulder on I-87/I-287 near exit 10 in Nyack will be closed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday, Dec. 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mariners should be aware that TZC will be installing permanent piles in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing 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. 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. All boaters are advised to use the main channel, reduce wake and use extreme caution while transiting the area. If necessary, the Coast Guard in the future may temporarily prohibit all vessel traffic in the RNA for safety purposes. The Coast Guard boating safety information can be found on the project website under the “Boating Safety” icon.

Ongoing operations:
• Rockland access ramp modifications
• Armoring of dredge channel
• River Road utility work
• Test pile program
• Rockland Dock Extension – finishing work under existing bridge
• Temporary Rockland trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 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

 

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

Inaugural Newsletter of the New NY Bridge

November 19, 2013 by

 

MonthlyNewsletter_Nov_2013 (3) Page 001

 

The New York State Thruway Authority and the New NY Bridge team are proud to launch the first issue of the New NY Bridge Newsletter, a monthly publication designed to keep everyone abreast of the latest news about the project.

The newsletter, produced in partnership with Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC), is one of many outreach tools employed to keep residents of Rockland and Westchester counties and the entire region informed about the New NY Bridge Project — the largest transportation infrastructure project in North America. Please enjoy the inaugural issue of the New NY Bridge Newsletter.

 

Read the complete Newsletter document here: MonthlyNewsletter_Nov_2013 (3)

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

THIRD NEW CONSTRUCTION CAMERA GOES LIVE

November 18, 2013 by

Project Update

For immediate release: November 15, 2013

new

Residents and motorists now have a Rockland County-view of work at the site of the New NY Bridge with the addition of a third construction camera. The construction camera went live this afternoon at NewNYBridge.com, and joins two others that provide views from Tarrytown and the Tappan Zee Bridge, respectively.

Located on a hill overlooking the Hudson River in Upper Grandview, the newest construction camera offers a view of the existing span, as well as barges, equipment and the permanent piles that are currently being constructed.

The installation of permanent piles will continue at the site next week, as will “armoring” of the dredge channel. Armoring is a process that helps protect the water quality for marine life. Currently, TZC crews are layering sand and stone within the dredge channel to armor the river bottom in an effort to ensure sediment is not kicked up by construction vessels.

The creation of the first of four new permanent noise barriers is also underway in Rockland County and sections of the existing noise wall along northbound I-87/I-287 in the area south of exit 10 will continue to be removed next week. From Monday, Nov. 18 to Wednesday, Nov. 20, one northbound right-hand lane and shoulder on I-87/I-287 in the area south of exit 10 in Nyack will be closed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for sound wall removal. A temporary noise barrier and noise monitors have been installed nearby and additional temporary noise barriers will be installed along a local access ramp and the New York State Thruway, after improvements are made to the ramp.

Mariners should be aware that TZC will be installing permanent piles in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing 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. New temporary navigational lights have been installed to further define the 600’ 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. All boaters are advised to use the main channel, reduce wake and use extreme caution while transiting the area. If necessary, the Coast Guard in the future may temporarily prohibit all vessel traffic in the RNA for safety purposes. The Coast Guard boating safety information can be found on the project website under the “Boating Safety” icon.
Ongoing operations:

  • Rockland access ramp modifications
  • Armoring of dredge channel
  • River Road utility work
  • Test pile program
  • Rockland Dock Extension – finishing work under existing bridge
  • Temporary Rockland trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 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: , , , , , , , ,

Nyack NY Chamber President Talks up New TZ Bridge

November 13, 2013 by

Rand Commercial Services own Scott Baird wears another hat as Nyack Chamber of Commerce President.

Watch his LoHud interview as he talks about the benefits the new bridge will have for residents & tourism to Rockland County.

Scott Baird Talks Benefits of New TZ Bridge

 

 

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

Tappan Zee Bridge; A Video Introduction

November 11, 2013 by

Click here: A Bridge to a New Era Video

 

The Tappan Zee Bridge today can be nearly synonymous with traffic, from spectacular jams on the steel superstructure to residual delays clogging streets in Tarrytown and Nyack. The bridge almost 60 years ago was heralded for linking two villages, two counties and carrying “possibly (the) most modern super highway in the world,” according to the Rockland Journal-News. As the region and its residents ready to watch Tappan Zee 2.0 cross the Hudson River, The Journal News looks at the beginnings of the first bridge and what the second one may bring.

Read more:  http://tappanzeebridge.lohud.com

 

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

Feds Will Loan Up to $1.6 Billion for TZ Bridge Construction

November 1, 2013 by

A Big Loan  for a Big Project

New City Patch, Posted by  (Editor) , 
patch
Photo credit: Carlos Gonzalez
Photo credit: Carlos Gonzalez

The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved a loan of up to $1.6 billion through its Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program for construction of a new Tappan Zee Bridge.

The loan is the largest ever in the history of the TIFIA program.

The Secretary’s approval comes after the DOT’s Credit Council met this morning to review the loan application, said Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D, Westchester-Rockland).

Yesterday, Lowey wrote a letter urging the DOT to expedite consideration of the TIFIA application. It can be viewed here.

“This is a huge milestone for the construction of a New Tappan Zee Bridge, a critical link in our region’s infrastructure system and lifeline for commuters and businesses,” she said in a statement. “I am excited that the DOT has approved the largest ever TIFIA loan for a transportation project and that the work on a new bridge can continue to move forward.”

Actual construction started last week. Patch has that and all the TZB news on our dedicated page.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, “”Approval of New York State’s request for this loan is great news for the tens of thousands of commuters who depend on the Tappan Zee every day, for communities in the Lower Hudson Valley, and for our entire state.

“This is a huge win for New York State, creating thousands of jobs, and an endorsement of one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in our history. It shows that despite over a decade of delay, New York can continue to build big,” Cuomo said.

Plans for a new bridge to replace the Tappan Zee were first discussed in 1999, and over the next 11 years, $88 million in taxpayer dollars was spent, 430 meetings were held, 150 concepts were considered, according to the governor’s office.

State Assemblyman David Buchwald said, “Today’s announcement is a victory for all New Yorkers. It reaffirms our progress on building the new Tappan Zee Bridge that is essential for our region’s economic vitality. I applaud Governor Cuomo for his leadership through each phase of this important project.”

Harriet Cornell, Chairwoman of the Rockland County Legislature, said the new bridge would be an important addition to the nation’s transportation network.

“Governor Cuomo has made this project a signature issue, and the federal government recognized its significance by granting the largest TIFIA loan in history,” Cornell said. “This bridge will provide economic development, thousands of jobs during construction, access to the entire Northeast and will be a magnificent sight spanning the Hudson River. This is wonderful news.”

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino also congratulated the governor; but, he pointed out there are still financial issues to be dealt with.

“I congratulate Governor Cuomo on this good news. The next step is how do we finance the rest of the bridge and the mass transit improvements to and from the bridge, while keeping tolls as low as possible,” Astorino said. “The governor has my full support to help the state come up with the best financing plans possible.”

http://newcity.patch.com/groups/transportation/p/feds-will-loan-up-to-16-billion-for-tz-bridge-construction-newcity?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001&evar4=picks-1-post&newsRef=true

 

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

As New Bridge Construction Begins, Boaters Must Practice Defensive Driving

October 30, 2013 by

New City Patch , Posted by  (Editor) , 

New City Patch Article Here

6430fd382faebe6b4396d23c2321c533

With permanent piles for the New Tappan Zee Bridge now going in, navigating the Hudson is getting increasingly more challenging.

There’s a very necessary and informative forum on Hudson River Boating Safety Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Tarrytown Village Hall at One Depot Plaza.

Bridge officials in their latest weekly press release advised mariners to exercise extreme caution where the new piles are going in – “in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge.”

“New temporary navigational lights have been installed to further define the 600’ navigation channel under the main span. Both temporary and permanent piles are illuminated at night.”

The U.S. Coast Guard recently issued revised safety information, establishing a “Regulated Navigation Area” from 300 yards north of the bridge to 200 yards south:

“All boaters are advised to use the main channel, reduce wake and use extreme caution while transiting the area. If necessary, the Coast Guard in the future may temporarily prohibit all vessel traffic in the RNA for safety purposes.”

More boating safety information can be found on theNewNYBridge website here, including exact lighting regulations and approved mooring locations.

And for a previous Patch article on the difficulties of navigating the waters at night, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

TZ Bridge Pre-Construction Activities Continue

October 11, 2013 by

The new NY bridge

For immediate release: October 11, 2013

NEW NY BRIDGE PROJECT
PRE-CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES CONTINUE

 

Second shift operations will continue on the river from 3:30 p.m. to 12 midnight on weekdays in preparation for permanent construction activities.

This work is primarily to support activities for the daytime pile driving operations and is limited by the project’s noise level restrictions. Pile driving will be limited to the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and, occasionally, from 12 noon to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

Construction of the Rockland County trestle will continue. This work will include daytime pile driving to install the temporary foundation piles needed to support the platform. The trestle is a work platform that will support a crane for the construction of the westernmost section of the new bridge. The 1200-foot long platform helps reduce the amount of dredging required.

From Tuesday, October 15 to Friday, October 18, one southbound right hand lane and shoulder on I-87/I-287 between exit 9 and exit 11 will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for shoulder work.

Additionally, utility work will continue on River Road in South Nyack. This work will be performed from 6:30 a.m. to approximately 6 p.m. for the next three weeks and has been coordinated with and approved by the Village of South Nyack. The work will reduce the roadway to one lane during daytime hours and flaggers will be onsite to safely direct motorists on River Road. During non-work hours, the road will have temporary coverings in place that may create uneven surfaces. Motorists and bicyclists should slow down and use extreme caution in the area.

Mariners should be aware that TZC will be installing piles in the vicinity of the side channels. 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. All boaters are advised to use the main channel, reduce wake and use extreme caution while transiting the area.

If necessary, the Coast Guard in the future may temporarily prohibit all vessel traffic in the RNA for safety purposes. The Coast Guard boating safety information can be found on the project website, NewNYBridge.com, under the boating safety icon.

E-ZPass tags are now available for purchase at the New NY Bridge Community Outreach Centers in Tarrytown and Nyack.

The pre-packaged E-ZPass tags can be purchased for $25 and are ready for immediate use. E-ZPass users avoid delays when traveling through toll plazas, receive a discount on every Thruway toll they pay, and enjoy the convenience of using E-ZPass in fifteen states: Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.

E-ZPass tags have a $25 value and are active upon purchase. The first $15 is immediately available for toll usage, and the remaining $10 becomes available once the tag is registered online or by phone. E-ZPass provides a five percent savings on Thruway tolls and offers toll discounts on many other roadways.

The Community Outreach Centers for the new bridge project were established last year as a gathering place and source of information for the community regarding the New NY Bridge. They are located at:

• 303 South Broadway in Tarrytown, and
• 142 Main Street in Nyack.

The centers are open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Ongoing operations:

• Dredging operations will continue 24/7

• Test pile program

• Rockland Dock Extension under existing bridge

• Temporary Rockland trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Temporary Westchester trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Survey inspections on existing bridge

• Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

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

TZC CREWS SAVES UNMOORED BOATS

October 5, 2013 by

update

For immediate release: October 4, 2013

TZC CREWS SAVES UNMOORED BOATS

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) crews helped rescue two boats that became unmoored near the Tappan Zee Bridge this past week.

On September 25, crews spotted a sail boat approaching the dredging area surrounding the Tappan Zee Bridge. After attempting communications and determining that no one was onboard, TZC’s safety team secured the boat and towed it to a tugboat. TZC then contacted the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office and the Coast Guard to track down the owner of the vessel. Later in the week, another unmoored vessel was secured by TZC and safely returned to its owners.

TZC crews will begin second shift operations on the river from 3:30 p.m. to 12 midnight on weekdays in preparation for permanent construction activities. This work is primarily support activities for the daytime pile driving operations and is limited by the project’s noise level restrictions. Pile driving will be limited to the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and, occasionally, from 12 noon to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

Construction of the Rockland County trestle will continue. This work will include daytime pile driving to install the temporary foundation piles needed to support the platform. The trestle is a work platform that will support a crane for the construction of the westernmost section of the new bridge. The 1200-foot long platform helps reduce the amount of dredging required.
From Monday, October 7 to Wednesday, October 9, one southbound right hand lane and shoulder on I-87/I-287 between exit 12 and the Tappan Zee Bridge will be closed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for shoulder work.

Additionally, utility work will continue on River Road in South Nyack. This work will continue through November and will involve reducing the roadway to one lane during daytime hours. During non-work hours, the road will have temporary coverings in place that may create uneven driving surfaces. Motorists and bicyclists should slow down and use extreme caution in the area.

Mariners should be aware that TZC will be installing piles in the vicinity of the side channels. Both temporary and permanent pile are illuminated at night. Boaters should use extreme caution and only use the main channel for transiting the area.

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. All boaters are required to use the main channel, reduce wake and use extreme caution while transiting the area.

If necessary, the Coast Guard in the future may temporarily prohibit all vessel traffic in the RNA for safety purposes.

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

Ongoing operations:
• Dredging operations will continue 24/7
• Test pile program
• Rockland Dock Extension under existing bridge
• Temporary Rockland trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Temporary Westchester trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Survey inspections on existing bridge
• Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

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

The New York Bridge Quarterly Newsletter

October 2, 2013 by

The New NY Bridge Newsletter

 

Quarterly Marketing Report

The NewNYBridge releases it quarterly Newsletter.

Check out the construction progress and what the future holds for the TappanZee Bridge project.

Visit: www.TheNewNyBridge.com

 

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

Bridge Construction Continues

September 28, 2013 by

new

For immediate release: September 27, 2013

NEW NY BRIDGE PROJECT CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES CONTINUE

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC will continue the construction of the Rockland County trestle.
This work will include daytime pile driving to install the temporary foundation piles needed to support the platform. Pile driving will be limited to the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and, occasionally, from 12 noon to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. The trestle is a work platform that will support a crane for the construction of the westernmost section of the new bridge. The 1200-foot long platform helps reduce the amount of dredging required.

Impact pile driving will also continue as part of the ongoing test pile program and will continue through October at various locations for future pile foundations during the same timeframe as above.

>From Tuesday, October 1 to Thursday, October 3, one northbound right hand lane and shoulder on I-87/I-287 between exit 9 and the Tappan Zee Bridge will be closed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for utility location testing. One northbound right hand lane and shoulder on I-87/I-287 in the vicinity of exit 10 will be closed on Wednesday, October 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for catch basin repair.

Additionally, utility work will continue on River Road in South Nyack. This work will continue through November and will involve reducing the roadway to one lane during daytime hours. During non-work hours, the road will have temporary coverings in place that may create uneven driving surfaces. Motorists and bicyclists should slow down and use extreme caution in the area.

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. All boaters are required to use the main channel, reduce wake and use extreme caution while transiting the area.

If necessary, the Coast Guard in the future may temporarily prohibit all vessel traffic in the RNA for safety purposes.

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

Ongoing operations:
•Dredging operations will continue 24/7
•Test pile program
•Rockland Dock Extension under existing bridge
•Temporary Rockland trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
•Temporary Westchester trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
•Survey inspections on existing bridge
•Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

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: , , , , , , , , , , ,

DREDGING OPERATIONS BEGIN, TEST PILE PROGRAM IMPACT PILE DRIVING ONGOING

August 3, 2013 by

new

Project Update

For immediate release: August 2, 2013

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) began 24 hour a day dredging operations today in the Hudson River as part of the New NY Bridge Project.

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a revised Notice to Mariners with updated safety information, including a request that boaters use extreme caution within 1,000 feet of all construction barges as a safety precaution.

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

Dredging will occur over a three-month period from August 1 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 processed and properly disposed at offsite locations.

Impact Pile driving began this week as part of the ongoing test pile program and will continue over the next three months at various locations for future pile foundations. This work will be performed 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 test structural load capacities in preparation for construction of the new bridge’s permanent foundation.

Ongoing operations:
· Test pile program
· Rockland bulkhead construction (including fence & gates)
· 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
· Rockland and Westchester environmental monitor installations
· Geotechnical land borings
· Mobilization at the exit 10 staging area
· Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

Westchester:
Limited test-boring operations will continue on Thruway property near the Irving Neighborhood in Tarrytown. The work is scheduled to be conducted between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday, August 5 through Wednesday, August 6.

Rockland:
TZC, LLC will reconstruct the sidewalk along River Road in S. Nyack north of the existing bridge. This is part of the Bulkhead construction area and will be performed between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday, August 5 and Tuesday, August 6. River Road will be limited to one lane with flag persons in place to control traffic safely.

Survey activity will occur in the southbound lanes of I-87/I-287 and will require a temporary lane closure between exit 10 and the existing bridge from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, August 5 and Tuesday, August 6.

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

Pile Driving Set To Begin This Week

July 26, 2013 by

The New Tappan Zee Bridge

For immediate release: July 26, 2013

TEST PILE PROGRAM IMPACT PILE DRIVING SET TO BEGIN,
ROCKLAND THRUWAY DOCK CONSTRUCTION GETTING UNDERWAY

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) is scheduled to begin impact pile driving as part of the ongoing test pile operation this week. The test pile installation will continue over the next two to three months at the proposed locations of the foundations for the New NY Bridge. The test pile program will verify subsurface conditions in the river and the structural capacity of the pilings.

Under the Final Environmental Impact Statement, the hours of impact pile driving are restricted to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 12:00 noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday. There is no impact pile driving allowed at night or on Sundays. Noise monitors are in place along the Rockland and Westchester shorelines and the data is available at www.NewNYBridge.com.

Construction of the New York State Thruway’s temporary dock at the Rockland Maintenance facility on River Road in South Nyack will begin the week of July 29. TZC will reconstruct a maintenance dock that was damaged during Superstorm Sandy. This new dock will allow the Thruway to continue its normal maintenance work on the existing Tappan Zee as the construction activities for the New NY Bridge get underway.

Orange and Rockland Utilities will install new utility poles near River Road in South Nyack to support utility relocations which are needed for the New NY Bridge project. These operations may require temporary lane closures and will be performed by the utility.

Ongoing operations:
· Test pile program
· Rockland bulkhead construction
· Temporary Westchester trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from
7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
· Survey inspections on existing bridge
· Rockland and Westchester environmental monitor installations
· Geotechnical land borings
· Mobilization at the exit 10 staging area
· Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

Westchester:
Survey crews will be conducting surveys in the toll plaza area in Tarrytown on Wednesday, July 31 requiring temporary closures of toll lanes conducted one at a time.

Rockland:
Geotechnical boring operations to investigate subsurface soil conditions will be conducted in the northbound lanes of I-87/I-287 and will require a temporary lane closure between the existing bridge to Interchange 10 in South Nyack from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, July 29 through Wednesday, July 31. Southbound lane closures will be required from Interchange 10 to the existing bridge between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursday, August 1 and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, August 2.

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

ROCKLAND BULKHEAD CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN–TEST PILE PROGRAM CONTINUES

July 19, 2013 by

update

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE; JULY 19, 2013

Construction of the Rockland Bulkhead will begin next week as crews enlarge the work platform in the New York State Thruway Authority’s Rockland maintenance area located on River Road in South Nyack.

The bulkhead will be part of the Thruway’s permanent dock and serve as the access point for Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC’s (TZC) Rockland trestle.  The trestle is the support platform that will allow TZC to build the foundations for the new bridge near the Rockland shoreline without dredging in that area.  TZC will utilize the bulkhead for support of construction throughout the entire project.

Orange and Rockland Utilities will install new utility poles near River Road in South Nyack to support utility relocations which are needed for the New NY Bridge project. These operations may require temporary lane closures and will be performed by the utility.

Test pile driving operations will be conducted over the next three months at proposed locations for pile foundations.  The test pile program will verify subsurface conditions in preparation for the construction of the bridge’s permanent foundation.

Multiple crews will conduct night time boring operations along I-87/I-287 in both directions in Westchester and Rockland Counties.  The night time operations are necessary due to lane closure restrictions during day time hours that are in place to keep traffic flowing over the current bridge. Boring operations began at exit 10 in Rockland County and continue to move west into Westchester County and then back to Rockland for one final boring location.

Ongoing operations:
– Temporary Westchester trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
– Survey inspections on existing bridge
– Rockland environmental monitor installations continue
– Geotechnical land borings
– Mobilization at the exit 10 staging area
– Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline
– Extension of Thruway’s Rockland maintenance dock

Westchester:
Night time boring operations to investigate subsurface soil conditions will be conducted in the southbound shoulder of I-87/I-287and will require a temporary right lane closure between the existing bridge and exit 9 on Tuesday, July 23, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.  Northbound lane closures will be required from exit 9 to the existing bridge on Wednesday, July 24, and from exit 9 to exit 11 in Rockland County on Thursday, July 25, and Friday, July 26. from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Rockland:
Night time boring operations to investigate subsurface soil conditions will be conducted in the southbound shoulder of I-87/I-287 and will require a temporary right lane closure between exit 10 and the existing bridge on Monday, July 22, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

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

NEW NY BRIDGE TEST PILE PROGRAM STARTS NEXT WEEK

July 12, 2013 by

The new NY bridge

 

For immediate release: July 12, 2013

NEW NY BRIDGE TEST PILE PROGRAM STARTS NEXT WEEK

Beginning the week of July 15, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC will install the first test piles for the New NY Bridge.

The test pile operations will be conducted over the next three months at proposed locations for pile foundations. Work will start at the main span footings. Piles will be placed by utilizing both vibratory and impact installation techniques. The test pile program will verify subsurface conditions in preparation for the construction of the bridge’s permanent foundation.

Multiple crews will conduct night time boring operations along I-87/I-287 in both Westchester and Rockland Counties. The night time operations are necessary due to lane closure restrictions during day time hours that are in place to keep traffic flowing over the current bridge. Boring operations will begin at exit 10 in Rockland County and move west into Westchester County.

Ongoing operations

– Temporary Westchester trestle construction including pile driving on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
– Survey inspections on existing bridge
– Rockland environmental monitor installations continue
– Geotechnical land borings
– Mobilization at the exit 10 staging area
– Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

Westchester:
Night time boring operations to investigate subsurface soil conditions will be conducted in the southbound shoulder of I-87/I-287 and will require a temporary right lane closure between the existing bridge and exit 9 on Friday, July 19 from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Rockland:
Night time boring operations to investigate subsurface soil conditions will be conducted in the southbound shoulder of I-87/I-287 and will require a temporary right lane closure between exit 10 and the existing bridge from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Monday, July 15 through Thursday, July 18.

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

ONGOING PRECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES CONTINUE ON THE NEW NY BRIDGE PROJECT

July 6, 2013 by

The new NY bridge

For immediate release: July 5, 2013

ONGOING PRECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES CONTINUE ON THE NEW NY BRIDGE PROJECT

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC, LLC) will continue preconstruction activities the week of July 8 in Westchester and Rockland Counties.

Ongoing operations:

– Cleaning and preparation for future construction of the Thruway’s Rockland Bulkhead
– Construction of the temporary Westchester work trestle which includes pile driving operations that will occur between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
– Survey inspections on existing bridge
– Rockland environmental monitor installations continue
– Geotechnical land borings
– Mobilization at the Exit 10 staging area
– Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

Lane closures will be in place on the right lane of northbound I-87/I-287 on Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for installation of instrumentation to monitor the existing bridge during construction. Lane closures will also be in place on the southbound right lane of I-87/I-287 Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the same activity.

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

Holiday Construction Schedule for TZ Bridge

June 29, 2013 by

The new NY bridge

For immediate release: June 28, 2013

NO WORK SCHEDULED JULY 4–NEW NY BRIDGE CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY

Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will not work on July 4 in observance of Independence Day.

Preconstruction activities will continue throughout the week; however, TZC will have no lane closures in order to keep traffic moving on the Thruway.

Ongoing operations:

– Cleaning and preparation for future construction of the Thruway’s Rockland Bulkhead
– Construction of the temporary Westchester work trestle which includes pile driving operations that will occur weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (except for July 4)
– Survey inspections on existing bridge
– Rockland environmental monitor installations continue
– Geotechnical land borings
– Mobilization at the Exit 10 staging area
– Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

Westchester:

Limited geotechnical analysis boring operations continue this week on Thruway property and will not require lane closures as work will be performed behind barriers. Work may be scheduled between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Rockland:

Limited geotechnical analysis boring operations continue this week on Thruway property and will not require lane closures as work will be performed behind barriers. Work may be scheduled between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

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

Residents will vote on Tappan Zee Bridge noise barriers

June 28, 2013 by

LoHud June 27, 2013 Written By Khurrum Saeed

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013306270071

TZC

About 400 Rockland and Westchester residents have until July 11 to decide whether they want noise barriers on and near the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

Four areas are under consideration for the noise walls, which will range from 10 to 18 feet in height depending on their location, a project official said.

Different neighborhoods are voting on their noise barriers in their area. The vote is legally binding under federal law.

Residents have also been asked to choose a look for the barriers that will help guide the final design.

If approved, the $2 million noise walls would be part of the new $4 billion project to replace the Tappan Zee Bridge and would be added during its five-year construction phase.

Last year, a group of South Nyack residents successfully demanded to be included in the vote since their property — Salisbury Point Cooperative — sits along the Thruway and will be even closer to the new bridge than the existing span.

“They really got smart because of the ruckus that we raised,” Salisbury Point resident John Brown said of the state Thruway Authority.

Brown planned to cast his vote Thursday in favor of adding the extra layer of noise protection and sensed most people in his complex were with him.

Salisbury Point board president Catherine McCue said she was grateful the state reconsidered and involved them in the process, along with dozens of homeowners in South Nyack and Upper Grandview. In all, 268 people in Rockland were sent ballots and 106 in Westchester.

The barriers and their appearance were discussed at a Thursday night meeting at the Best Western hotel in Nyack.

Two meetings held in Westchester earlier this week brought out about 50 residents, some from The Quay and Tappan Landing Road complexes.

In order for the barriers to move ahead, at least 50 percent of the ballot holders must vote, and a simple majority must vote in favor of building them.

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

Tappan Zee Bridge: Feds, state assure South Nyack of toll removal

June 17, 2013 by

Lohud June 15, 2013; author Khurram Saeed

Federal and state authorities have assured South Nyack officials in writing that temporary equipment that will be used to collect Tappan Zee Bridge tolls electronically in South Nyack will be removed when the new crossing is completed.

The Federal Highway Administration approved a change that updates the language in the $4 billion project’s final environmental review and its official record of decision confirming the toll facility will leave its interim home at Exit 10 on the Thruway in five years or so.

The state Thruway Authority on Thursday also made its position clear in a letter to South Nyack Mayor Bonnie Christian.

“Upon completion of the new bridge with its permanent toll facilities in Tarrytown, the temporary gantry with toll equipment will be removed from Interchange 10,” project director Peter Sanderson wrote.

South Nyack officials had been demanding the guarantees because they wish to commercially redevelop the Exit 10 interchange.

Project officials have said the toll gantry is expected to be erected next year and tested for six months before being used.

An environmental monitor was installed recently at Interchange 10 so the public can keep track of noise, dust and vibration levels.

Project officials also confirmed, as first reported in The Journal News last week, that Tappan Zee Constructors will install the monitors at Bradford Mews Apartments on Piermont Avenue and Ferris Lane, a residential street in Grand View. In Rockland, there are already monitors at Salisbury Point Cooperative in South Nyack; on River Road, south of Grand View Village Hall; and near the Thruway’s Interchange 12 in West Nyack.

Preparation for the start of full-blown construction of the new parallel spans is continuing. During the next two weeks, two large barge-mounted cranes that will be used to place permanent piles for the bridge will arrive in the area. Crews will assemble and moor each crane until the test pile work begins in the middle of next month. The cranes will be stationed on the north side of the bridge closer to the Rockland side of the Hudson River. Despite the imposing size, neither of these cranes are as large as the Left Coast Lifter, which is set to arrive at the end of this year.

Project officials said work also will begin next week on the Thruway Authority’s bulkhead area along River Road in South Nyack. Work includes clearing the site and construction of a larger bulkhead that will be used for equipment staging.

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

LARGE CRANES START TO ARRIVE ON THE HUDSON RIVER THIS WEEK

June 17, 2013 by

update

Two large barge-mounted cranes that will be used to place permanent piles for the substructure of the New NY Bridge Project will arrive throughout the next two weeks. Upon arrival, crews will start to assemble each crane and moor them until the test pile operations begin in mid-July. The cranes will be moored on the north side of the bridge closer to the Rockland County side of the Hudson River.


Neither of these cranes are the Left Coast Lifter, which is set to arrive late this year.

Work will also begin next week on the New York State Thruway Authority’s Rockland bulkhead area located on River Road in South Nyack. Work includes clearing of the site and construction of a larger bulkhead that will be used for staging of equipment.

Ongoing operations:
– Construction of the temporary Westchester work trestle which includes pile driving operations occurring weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
– Survey inspections on existing bridge
– Environmental monitoring activities
– Geotechnical land borings
– Mobilization at the Exit 10 staging area
– Support for river-based work from the Rockland shoreline

Westchester:

Limited geotechnical analysis boring operations continue this week on Thruway property and will not require lane closures. Work activities will be conducted between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Rockland:

Limited geotechnical analysis boring operations continue this week on Thruway property and will not require lane closures due to work being performed behind barriers. Crews will also inspect and clean the 72-foot storm sewer line that services the existing Thruway property. Work is scheduled between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

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

STATE-OF-THE-ART ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SYSTEM ONLINE FOR TZ BRIDGE

May 10, 2013 by

For immediate release: May 10, 2013
Contact: Dan Weiller (518) 471-5300

Residents kept informed by noise, vibration and air quality monitors
as first pile driving begins on a temporary work platform

As work begins on a temporary Westchester work platform for the New NY Bridge, residents will be kept informed by a first-of-its kind environmental monitoring system with results publicly posted on the internet.

“We are empowering people with information and keeping them up to date on what’s happening with this vital project,” said Thruway Authority Executive Director Thomas Madison. “We are taking unprecedented measures to mitigate noise, vibration and air quality issues and the monitoring system that is now on our website is a major part of that effort.”

As soon as Friday, May 10, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will begin daytime pile driving work to install the temporary foundation needed to support a trestle in the Hudson River on Thruway Authority property just north of the current bridge in Tarrytown.   The trestle is a work platform that will support a crane for the construction of the easternmost 1000 feet of the new bridge.  The 1000-foot long platform, which will be dismantled when the bridge is complete, helps reduce the amount of dredging required in the Hudson and allows the crews to work from the water and not from the Westchester shoreline.

TZC has installed highly sophisticated monitoring devices at locations near the project site in Westchester. These devices will record the level of sound, vibration and air quality and the data will be available to the public online at www.newnybridge.com as part of the New York State Thruway Authority’s commitment to openness and transparency.

Environmental requirements limit pile driving and other loud construction activities to a maximum of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. There will be no pile driving done on the weekends.

Because the soil under the river is so soft, the pilings will be installed using the vibration technique for the most part.  Vibratory pile driving is much quieter than impact pile driving and will be less intrusive for nearby residents.  Short duration impact pile driving will be used to set the piles into bedrock.  TZC will also use sound mitigating shrouds and other techniques to reduce the noise levels involved.

The EPCs are intended to monitor, minimize and mitigate potential adverse effects related to construction noise, vibration and air quality associated with the project.  In addition to the monitoring systems and specialized pile driving techniques, the Thruway Authority is requiring many other mitigation measures including state-of-the-art controls to limit dust and emissions and receiving deliveries of equipment and supplies mostly by barge, rather than truck.

Construction of the temporary Westchester trestle is expected to last several months.  Construction of a similar work platform on Thruway property near the Rockland County shoreline is expected to begin in July.

For a direct link to the data from the monitors go to: http://newnybridgegallery.com/noise/

###

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

Tappan Zee Bridge project: Sound barrier plans trouble neighbors

May 9, 2013 by

Lohud May 9, 2013  Written by   Theresa Juva-Brown and Khurram Saeed

The New Tappan Zee Bridge

Tarrytown residents worry they will be bothered by work trucks.

Residents are finally getting details on how their neighborhoods will be protected during construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge, but not everyone is convinced those measures will be enough.

In the tiny Tarrytown neighborhood of Irving, which sits next to the current bridge’s toll plaza, homeowners have asked the state for permanent sound barriers and assurances that long lines of trucks won’t rumble through their neighborhood. At a meeting with Tappan Zee Constructors and the state last week, homeowners learned a temporary wooden wall — not a concrete barrier — will be put up near Hudson Place, said Tori Weisel, president of the Irving Neighborhood Preservation Association. Several homes on Hudson Place sit next to a Thruway Authority maintenance road that will be used during the project.

Officials also said the Thruway’s dirt road will be covered with gravel. Residents are worried that won’t absorb truck vibrations as well as a hard surface, Weisel said.

It’s also still unclear how many trucks will use Van Wart Avenue to access Thruway property.

“It’s less about the construction and more about these trucks going by,” she said.

Residents were satisfied, however, to hear that the project team will conduct preconstruction surveys of properties on request. The surveys will document property conditions in case there is a later claim of damage. Homeowners on Tappan Landing Road in Tarrytown are also being offered the surveys.

In South Nyack, concerns remain about the location of devices that will track noise, dust and vibration levels.

Tappan Zee Constructors has proposed installing four devices in Rockland. Two would be in South Nyack at Salisbury Point Co-Operative and either at Elizabeth Park or South Nyack Village Hall but more may be needed, said South Nyack Mayor Bonnie Christian. The builder has proposed putting a monitor in Grand View and at Interchage 12 in West Nyack but will explore additional locations, state officials said.

The village also wants a written commitment that electronic tolling equipment set to go up on the Thruway in South Nyack will be removed after the new bridge is completed in 2018. Christian wants it added to the Thruway’s agreement with Tappan Zee Constructors.

Project officials said that the final environmental study has been changed to reflect the temporary toll location and that the permanent toll plaza will return to Tarrytown. The Federal Highway Administration recently approved the change, they said Wednesday.

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

Rand Commercial Services Weekly Real Estate Report- A Bridge To The Future

April 27, 2013 by

 

 

 

 

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

New NY Bridge Project Update April 19, 2013

April 19, 2013 by

The new NY bridge

April 19, 2013

New NY Bridge surveying crews to conduct multiple operations

Surveying work for the New NY Bridge Project will continue during the week of April 22 as engineering crews conduct more design surveys at various locations in Rockland and Westchester in the vicinity of the project, including the Westchester Haul Road location on New York State Thruway property in Tarrytown.

Installation of construction monitoring devices is planned at several locations this week. These devices, which monitor vibration, noise, and air quality, will be in place for the duration of the project to record construction activity impacts.

Preconstruction surveys of properties located near the construction will begin next week. These operations will be conducted by engineering teams and will involve photographing the exterior and interior of structures. Tappan Zee Constructors is coordinating with the property owners for access.

Preconstruction geotechnical investigations will continue as small barge-based drilling equipment will work at various locations throughout the project footprint in the Hudson River. The crews are conducting preconstruction geotechnical surveys to determine soil conditions where future piles will be installed for the new span. Noise levels from the equipment will be at a minimum. The river-based operations will run continuously 24 hours a day Monday through Friday and possibly Saturday.

Westchester:
Limited test-boring operations will continue on land under the existing bridge and just to the north at the proposed bridge locations. These operations are being conducted on Thruway property and will not affect traffic in any way. The work is scheduled to be conducted between the hours of 7 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday.

Rockland:
There are no land-based boring operations scheduled for the Rockland area for the week of April 22.

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