Lt. James Luciano of the Westchester County Police Marine Unit speaking about boater safety near the New NY Bridge construction zone on May 21, 2015.
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.
To help spread the safety message, the New York State Thruway Authority and Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) joined with boating groups and local marine law enforcement units this past week for a boating safety news conference at Washington Irving Boat Club in Tarrytown.
“The Hudson River is a great place to boat, whether you’re staying local or heading to distant waters. But if the Tappan Zee Bridge is in your view, boaters need to be vigilant of safety zones, commercial traffic and especially the no wake low speed zone,” said Scott Croft, president of the Hudson River Boat and Yacht Club Association. “Taking it slow and adding a few minutes to your journey will help ensure a safe passage.”
New for this summer: the boating channel providing access to Piermont’s popular waterfront has been upgraded and now features eight lighted buoys. The route, identified in collaboration with village officials and marina owners last year, avoids the project’s construction zone and provides recreational boaters safe access to the Piermont marinas and restaurants.
Also new this summer: the Westchester and Rockland Marine Units will add extra patrols to monitor the construction zone and encourage all boaters to obey the established U.S. Coast Guard safety protocols. Those efforts started with overnight patrols during the Memorial Day weekend.
Approximately 155 TZC vessels currently are on the river and many of them are on move at any given time. Boaters are encouraged to use the New NY Bridge project’s interactive map, which utilizes GPS technology to track all TZC vessels and barges, to keep up to date on the specific locations of project vessels and construction activity in general. All boaters are advised to transit the main navigation channel, use no wake, stay at least 1,000 feet away from any construction equipment and adhere to the U.S. Coast Guard-regulated navigation area and prohibited safety zone around the marked TZC mooring area.
“With boating season underway, we are once again urging all recreational boaters to use caution in and around the New NY Bridge construction zone,” said Thruway Authority Acting Executive Director Robert L. Megna. “Safety is our number one priority on the project for workers, motorists on the bridge, and boaters on the Hudson River alike. We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable summer while the remarkable progress on this critical infrastructure project continues.”
The project team will continue closely collaborating with the Coast Guard as the new Hudson River crossing rises. More project-related boater safety information, including construction site maps, can be found on the project website’s Boater Safety Page.
