The westbound bridge’s stay cable system supports more than 2,000 feet of roadway.
Tappan Zee Constructors is putting the finishing touches on the westbound main span towers.
Installation of the bridge’s permanent maintenance elevators, which are located within the 419-foot-tall towers, is complete. The elevators were designed to ascend at a five-degree angle, matching the slope of the main span towers.
Everything from the shape of the elevator cabin to the landing doors and elevator mast was carefully planned well in advance. The installation efforts were also closely coordinated with the work of other teams, including the placing of electrical components and the permanent ladders.
Following the installation of the elevators, all four of the westbound bridge’s 10-foot by 12-foot rooftops were placed. The tower tops were built offsite by the Fort Miller Company in Schuylervile, N.Y. – the firm that fabricated the bridge’s main span road deck panels.
Temporary equipment that was crucial to construction, including exterior staircases and walkways high above the road deck connecting the towers, are being removed. The two giant red tower cranes, which have been on the project site since the fall of 2015 and reached 490 feet above the Hudson River, will also soon be dismantled.
TZC surveyed the westbound roadway in its entirety following the completion of structural steel and road deck panel installation. Using sophisticated tools, surveyors analyzed the shape and contour of the roadway within millimeters of deviation. With this information in hand, TZC crews worked within the towers to make the final adjustments to the stay cable system and achieve a smooth roadway profile.
The 3.1-mile westbound crossing will open to traffic later this year.
