As one of the largest active bridge projects in the nation, the New NY Bridge has become a symbol of progress and achievement.
“I can’t tell you how many people who drive across the old Tappan Zee and who have been watching this come up to me and talk about it,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said last month when he visited the project site. “You can see it in their eyes and in their faces that they are really captivated by it – the size of it, the power of it, and the magnitude of it.”
Since the launch of permanent construction operations in October 2013, more than 6,300 people have contributed to the project, totaling more than 8 million work hours. The remarkable work of these men and women has led to a new stunning structure on the Hudson River, with the process captured by the project’s many construction webcams.
The newly completed main span towers reflect the overall progress of the twin-span structure. The eight concrete structures now stand 419 feet above the Hudson River – more than 100 feet higher than the top of the current Tappan Zee Bridge. Nearly 200 stay cables will connect the towers to the roadway, with more than 80 already in place.
At water level, the project team has completed pile driving and other foundation work, with more than 1,000 piles installed to date. The steel structures allowed the team to create concrete piers, which in turn support the new bridge’s steel girders and roadway.
Approximately 90 percent of these support structures have been completed, including the fabrication and placement of 126 steel girder assemblies. Fourteen steel girder sections will be installed on the eastbound span starting this year.
The I Lift NY super crane was crucial to the quick and safe installation of steel on the Westchester and Rockland approaches. The super crane is capable of lifting the equivalent of 12 Statues of Liberty at once and will help with the demolition of the existing Tappan Zee Bridge.
More than 3,000 road panels have been installed atop these steel girders, accounting for 3.5 miles of concrete. These panels form the base driving surface for the twin-span crossing, and are designed to interlock with galvanized steel reinforcement. To date, all of the deck panels for the westbound approaches have been installed.
The New NY Bridge is on track to open in 2018, with the westbound span scheduled for completion later this year.
Those interested in watching construction history in the making are invited to view the daily progress via the webcams and photo gallery on the project website.
