Following months of planning and preparation, one of the world’s largest floating cranes this morning successfully completed the first of many enormous lifts for the New NY Bridge project.
In a carefully coordinated three-and-a-half hour operation on the Hudson River between Westchester and Rockland counties, the I Lift NY super crane hoisted and set one of project’s largest precast concrete pile caps, weighing in at 600 tons.
The super crane’s extraordinary capabilities save time and money while enhancing quality and safety by allowing large sections of the bridge to be pre-fabricated off-site and shipped by barge to the construction zone.
I Lift NY crane will continue to lift and place sections of the new twin-span bridge — some weighing from 900 to 1,100 tons — and will assist with the dismantling of the existing 60-year-old Tappan Zee Bridge, reducing costs and shortening the deconstruction process.
The super crane’s boom is 328 feet tall, which is taller than a 30-story building, and can lift up to 1,900 tons, or the equivalent of 12 Statues of Liberty, at once. Despite its enormity, the barge-mounted crane sits high in the water, thereby reducing the need for dredging on the project by 50 percent.
I Lift NY super crane made a 6,000-mile journey from the San Francisco Bay area in 2014, passing through the Panama Canal.
Since its arrival here in New York, the crane has gone through months of testing, modifications and upgrades including a new high-tech computer operating system and complete replacement of its rigging cables. The most experienced operating engineers in the area also spent months of specialized training to carefully handle this massive machine. Now that the ice has cleared on the Hudson River, the I Lift NY crane is getting to work on the pile caps and later this year will begin placing the even heavier structural steel beams that will carry the road deck across the new spans.
Work Continues On Temporary All-Electronic Toll Collection System
To allow Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) to continue installing foundations for a temporary all-electronic toll collection system that will be employed until the permanent system is constructed in the location of the current toll plaza, the exit 10 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) on-ramp to the southbound New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) will be closed from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. during the overnights of Thursday, April 30 and Friday, May 1. Drivers will be directed to use the entrance ramp located on Route 59 in Nyack, as illustrated below.
Additionally, the right lane of the southbound Thruway will be closed near exit 11 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) to the Tappan Zee Bridge from 8 p.m., Thursday, April 30 to 4:30 a.m., Friday, May 1 and from 9 p.m., Friday, May 1 to 4:30 a.m., Saturday, May 2. Three lanes of the southbound Thruway will remain open during the closures.
All planned work is subject to postponement due to weather conditions.
River Road in South Nyack
River Road utility work will continue the week of April 27. The work may require reducing River Road to one lane at times. TZC flag persons will direct traffic as needed and additional signage as well as other safety measures will be in place.
Foundation Work on the New Bridge
Marine crews will continue working on the foundations for the new bridge next week by placing reinforcing steel and concrete in the piles, main span pile caps and approach span pile caps. The high-strength concrete is made on site by the project’s two floating batch plants. Teams also will erect formwork for the cast-in-place pier columns, which eventually will support the new bridge’s road deck. With only a small percentage of piles left to install, pile driving operations will continue next week. The periodic pile driving is restricted to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and noon to 7 p.m., Saturday.
Crews also will continue working on the bridge’s landings at the Rockland and Westchester shorelines. The abutments, comprised of steel and concrete, will serve as strong bases where the new crossing meets the landside roadway.
TZC will continue concrete placement for foundations near the South Nyack shoreline. The concrete for this work is being acquired from local concrete suppliers and is delivered by truck to the Rockland trestle located off the Thruway’s southbound access ramp. Trucks exit the trestle to the Thruway via the northbound access ramp. The access ramps are used only by construction vehicles, providing a safe route directly to the work site and reducing traffic impacts on local roads.
- Additional work includes:
- Pile cap foundation construction
- Main span foundation construction
- Concrete placement for foundations
- Landing abutment concrete work
- River Road utility work
- Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
- Survey inspections on the existing bridge
Boater Safety
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 the 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.
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.
