Preparations for pier foundation work near the Rockland shoreline scheduled for the weekend of April 29 will necessitate overnight lane closures on the northbound Tappan Zee Bridge and New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) near exit 9 (Tarrytown – Sleepy Hollow – US Route 9) on Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16.
The work also will require periodic pile driving during daylight hours – no pile driving will occur in the overnight hours until the weekend of April 29. Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will utilize vibratory hammers and noise-reducing shrouds during the operation as part of the project’s noise mitigation efforts.
Additional work will require overnight triple lane closures on the southbound Thruway from exit 11 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) to exit 10 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) on Monday, April 18; Friday, April 22; and Saturday, April 23.
Cashless Tolling Preparation
Preparations for the New NY Bridge project’s temporary cashless tolling system in Rockland will continue this week near the southbound Thruway exit 10 on-ramp and the Tarrytown toll plaza.
Work associated with the system, also called all-electronic toll collection, will necessitate midday single-lane closures on the southbound Tappan Zee Bridge on Thursday, April 14; Monday, April 18; and Tuesday, April 19. Similar operations will occur on the northbound lanes of the bridge on Wednesday, April 20 and Thursday, April 21.
The transition to the cashless tolling system is scheduled to begin on the night of Friday, April 22 with activation scheduled just after midnight on Saturday, April 23. Work associated with the transition will necessitate lane closures on the southbound Thruway between exit 10 and exit 9 during the overnights of Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23. Work will also require closing the exit 10 on-ramp during these overnights. The graphic below shows detour routes.
In addition, periodic traffic stops lasting up to 10 minutes of all four lanes of the southbound Thruway from exit 11 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) to the Tappan Zee Bridge will occur between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. during these overnights. To ensure the public’s safety, the New York State Police will stop and hold all traffic approaching the area.
Specific lane and ramp closure times are detailed in the chart below.
LANE AND RAMP CLOSURES NEAR THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE
| DATE: | CLOSURES BEGIN: | CLOSURES END: | LOCATION: |
| Thu., 4/14 | 10 a.m. – One right lane | 2 p.m. | Southbound Thruway from exit 11 to exit 9 |
| Fri., 4/15 | 8 p.m. – One right lane 10 p.m. – Two right lanes 12 a.m. – Three right lanes |
8 a.m., Sat., 4/16 | Northbound from exit 9 to exit 10 |
| Sat., 4/16 | 8 p.m. – One right lane 10 p.m. – Two right lanes 12 a.m. – Three right lanes |
8 a.m., Sun., 4/17 | Northbound from exit 9 to exit 10 |
| Mon., 4/18 | 10 a.m. – One right lane | 3 p.m. | Southbound from exit 11 to exit 9 |
| Mon., 4/18 | 8 p.m. – Two left lanes 11 p.m. – Three left lanes |
5 a.m., Tue., 4/19 | Southbound from exit 11 to exit 10 |
| Tue., 4/19 | 10 a.m. – One right lane | 3 p.m. | Southbound from exit 11 to exit 9 |
| Wed., 4/20 | 10 a.m. – One right lane | 3 p.m. | Northbound from exit 9 to exit 10 |
| Thu., 4/21 | 10 a.m. – One right lane | 3 p.m. | Northbound from exit 9 to exit 10 |
| Fri., 4/22 | 9 p.m. – Two right lanes 12 a.m. – Three right lanes |
8 a.m., Sat., 4/23 | Southbound from exit 10 to exit 9 |
| Fri., 4/22 | 10 p.m. – On-ramp closure | 5 a.m., Sat., 4/23 | Southbound exit 10 |
| Sat., 4/23 | 9 p.m. – Two right lanes 12 a.m. – Three right lanes |
8 a.m., Sun., 4/24 | Southbound from exit 10 to exit 9 |
| Sat., 4/23 | 10 p.m. – On-ramp closure | 5 a.m., Sun., 4/24 | Southbound exit 10 |
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 https://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/ for real-time information regarding traffic conditions.
