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.

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.

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.

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.