Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) has begun installing the new eastbound bridge’s stay cable system. The work follows the progress on the westbound bridge, with more than 50 stay cables fully anchored and tensioned on the 419-foot main span towers.
The stay cables are comprised of numerous metal strands, tightly packed in a protective sheath. After the initial installation process, TZC installs additional strands inside the sheath to provide further strength.
TZC is installing new structural steel sections and stay cables on alternating sides of the towers as work continues. TZC is also placing precast concrete deck panels on the erected steel sections to provide a base driving surface.
Drivers First Program
The New York State Thruway Authority and Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will allow all lanes to remain open from today until 6 a.m. Monday, Nov. 28, in order to accommodate motorists during the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel week. Some work may continue behind permanent concrete barriers or for emergency repairs.
The suspension of lane closures is in keeping with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s “Drivers First” initiative, which gives priority to motorists by ensuring that disruptions associated with highway and bridge projects are kept as minimal as possible.
“Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year and we are committed to doing everything in our power to ease congestion and inconvenience to drivers during this holiday weekend,” Governor Cuomo said. “By putting Drivers First and reducing lane closures and the traffic and delays that come with them, millions of travelers will be able to get where they need to go quicker and with less aggravation.”
Thruway Authority Acting Executive Director Bill Finch said, “Holidays are often a busy time of the year, especially for those traveling to visit friends and loved ones. The Thruway Authority is proud to participate once again in Governor Cuomo’s Drivers First initiative to ensure that the Thruway is one of the most efficient and reliable ways for drivers to reach their destinations.”
During this busy travel weekend, motorists are reminded of New York’s critically important “Move Over” law, which requires drivers to use due care, slow down and safely move over when they see flashing lights on the side of the road.
Maintenance Facility Construction
TZC continues construction on the New York State Thruway Authority’s new maintenance facility in Tarrytown. The work includes pouring concrete and installing steel reinforcement.
The state-of-the-art building will facilitate instant access to the bridge for several groups of Thruway personnel including: administration, emergency response, mechanics, welders, painters, electricians and dock crews. The facility is expected to open in 2018. Bridge maintenance teams currently operate from a temporary facility near exit 12 in West Nyack.
I Lift NY Operations
The project’s largest crane, dubbed I Lift NY, will continue installing road deck panels on the Rockland approach this coming week. The operation will continue into next month.
Additional work includes:
- Main span tower construction
- Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
- Rockland landing foundation
- Survey inspections on the existing bridge
- Utility work at the Westchester landings
- Bridge road deck installation
- Concrete roadway placement at bridge landings
- Drainage structure installation
- New police facility construction in Tarrytown
- Pier foundation work
- Maintenance dock construction
- Utility work in Tarrytown
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.
Periodic closures of the main navigation channel and adjacent span areas will occur due to on-going construction. Boaters are strongly encouraged to avoid the project site during these closures.
The closures are anticipated through the end of 2017 as project crews install new sections of structural steel and road deck panels between the towers of the new crossing. Cranes, barges and other construction equipment will occupy parts of the channel during this time.
During the closures, boaters are strongly encouraged to avoid the project site. Times and dates of the closures will appear in the U.S. Coast Guard’s weekly Notice to Mariners; on the New NY Bridge (NNYB) project’s Twitter feed (@NewNYBridge); and broadcast on Marine Radio Channel 22A.
Times and dates of the channel closures are subject to change.
TZC will be monitoring the main channel during closure hours and can be contacted via Marine Radio Channel 16 for assistance. Both TZC security personnel off-site and marine units will advise incoming boaters of the closures and direct them appropriately. TZC is also in on-going communication with the commercial shipping industry about the channel closures.
Boaters are strongly urged to use the center 600 feet of the main channel (when available) to navigate in a north-south direction with no wake at a maximum speed of five knots.
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. The U.S. Coast Guard also has established a safety zone encompassing all navigable waters within a 200-yard radius of the largest machine on the project, the I Lift NY super crane, legally registered with the U.S. Coast Guard as the Left Coast Lifter.
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. The Eastern RNA will be extremely active and vessels transitioning to and from the eastern shoreline at Tarrytown should approach and depart to the north. The Western RNA will be impassable at times and mariners should stay clear of the area.
Mariners also should be aware that TZC will continue work in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge. Mariners are advised to stay clear of all overhead work and maintain a safe distance of 1,000 feet from all construction equipment and support vessels. In addition, all bridge piers and abutments are protected by a 25-yard security zone.
The 600-foot navigation channel under the main span of the existing bridge remains 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 and construction site map can be found at NewNYBridge.com/Boater. 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.
The New York State Thruway Authority provides this information as a public service. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. Nothing in these guidelines shall supersede the actual construction conditions, and regulations set forth by the U.S. Coast Guard.
