On June 17, the first steel girder assembly for the approach span of the new bridge was successfully installed using the I Lift NY super crane. Placed near the Rockland County side of the bridge, the 410-foot section will be joined by additional girder assemblies in the coming weeks and months as piers are finalized.
Installation of Noise Barriers in South Nyack
Next week also will see additional installation of foundations for noise barriers along the southbound New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) between the South Broadway bridge and River Road. The work will involve drilling holes into the soil to install the foundations. After the foundations are installed, 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.
Continued Closures in Rockland to Support Construction of Temporary All-Electronic Toll Collection System
Three lanes of the southbound Thruway will close during the overnight of Monday, June 22. The closures will start at 8 p.m. with the closing of one lane near exit 11 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) to the Tappan Zee Bridge, followed by a second lane at 9 p.m. and a third at 11 p.m. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m., Tuesday, June 23.
During overnights from Tuesday, June 23 through Thursday, June 25, one lane of the northbound Thruway will be closed from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning. Another single-lane closure will occur on Friday, June 26 starting at 9 p.m. and concluding at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 27 and again on Saturday, June 27 starting at 9 p.m. and concluding at 7a.m., Sunday, June 28. Three lanes will remain open during these periods.
In addition, a single-lane closure of the northbound Thruway will occur From Monday, June 22 through Thursday, June 25. The closure will start at 4 a.m. near the Tappan Zee Bridge to exit 11 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W). The lane will reopen by 1 p.m. Three lanes remain open during the operation.
River Road in South Nyack
River Road utility work will continue during the week of June 22. 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 are continuing work on bridge foundations 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 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.
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.
Construction of pier 1 located near River Road in South Nyack will continue with the installation of H-piles. The piles are part of the foundation for the new bridge pier. Pile driving is restricted to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and noon to 7 p.m., Saturday. TZC is implementing noise-reducing measures, including temporary noise barriers, to protect nearby residents. The project’s environmental compliance team will be on site to monitor noise levels during the operation.
Additionally, TZC will continue concrete placement for bridge 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:
- Bridge girder placement
- Pile cap foundation construction
- Main span foundation construction
- Landing abutment concrete work
- Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
- Survey inspections on the existing bridge
- Westchester landings utility work
Boater Safety
During the summer months, 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.
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.
Non-Project Related Overnight Lane Closures
Alternating southbound lane closures to facilitate paving operations are planned for the overnights of Tuesday, June 23 through Friday night, June 26, starting at 8:00 p.m. each night and ending by 5:00 a.m. the following morning, between exit 11 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) and the Tappan Zee Bridge. Up to three lanes may be closed beginning at 11:00 p.m. each night.
