Now that the four northbound lanes of the New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) on the Westchester approach to the Tappan Zee Bridge have been shifted and slightly narrowed, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) is preparing to demolish part of the existing bridge’s Westchester landing in the coming weeks to clear the way for construction of the new bridge. While the demolition is not expected to impact traffic flow, motorists are reminded that the speed limit in this area has been reduced to 45 mph at all times.
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 noon to 7 p.m., Saturday. The I Lift NY super crane, which arrived at the project site earlier this week, is poised to begin operations at the site soon.
A second shift of workers also will continue pile welding, pile cleanout and concrete placement operations associated with permanent foundations.
TZC will continue construction on the new bridge’s Westchester landing, drilling holes into the bedrock for the foundation. The drilling process produces less noise than the impact pile driving alternative, and TZC has implemented noise-reducing measures to further minimize noise levels during the eight-week operation, which is anticipated to conclude in November.
Work will continue on the Rockland work trestle near the shoreline, including pile driving and cofferdam installation. The trestle will support equipment used for the construction of the westernmost 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 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.
| Tuesday | Oct. 14 | Southbound right lane near exit 11 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Tuesday | Oct. 14 | Northbound left 2 lanes between exit 8 and Tappan Zee Bridge | 9 p.m. to 10:59 p.m. |
| Tuesday | Oct. 14 | Northbound left 3 lanes between exit 8 and Tappan Zee Bridge | 11 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. |
| Wednesday | Oct. 15 | Northbound left 3 lanes between exit 8 and Tappan Zee Bridge | 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Wednesday | Oct. 15 | Southbound right lane near exit 11 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Thursday | Oct. 16 | Southbound left lane near exit 11 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Friday | Oct. 17 | Southbound right lane from exit 11 across the Tappan Zee Bridge | 9 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. |
| Saturday | Oct. 18 | Southbound right lane from exit 11 across the Tappan Zee Bridge | Midnight to 11 a.m. |
All lane closures are subject to change due to traffic, weather or emergency situations. Please visit https://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/index.html?layer=incidents for real time information regarding traffic conditions.
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
