Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC) has completed installation of all road deck panels for the westbound bridge’s approaches. TZC placed nearly 3,000 steel-reinforced concrete panels, weighing as much as 74,000 pounds each, atop the westbound steel girder assemblies to create the base driving surface of the bridge.
Deck panel installation continues on the eastbound Rockland approach, as well as both cable-stayed main spans.
TZC will continue to create the final driving surface of the bridge by placing a 1-inch concrete polymer overlay on the deck panels. The polymer ensures durability and a safe, even ride for drivers.
Overhead Gantries
TZC has installed the first of eight overhead gantries, or sign structures, on the westbound bridge. The gantries will be outfitted with variable lane use and electronic messages signs, as well as traditional exit signs.
Stay Cable Installation
TZC continues to install stay cables on the new westbound and eastbound spans. Nearly 60 stay cables are now 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.
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 eastbound Rockland approach this coming week. The operation will continue this month.
Additional work includes:
- Main span tower construction
- Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
- Survey inspections on the existing bridge
- Utility work at the Westchester landings
- Concrete roadway placement at bridge landings
- Drainage structure installation
- New police facility construction in Tarrytown
- Pier foundation work
- Maintenance dock construction
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.
