Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will continue constructing the New York State Thruway’s (I-87/I-287) temporary all-electronic toll collection system next week by installing foundations for the overhead gantry on right side of the southbound Thruway near exit 10 in South Nyack. TZC will drill holes in the soil and rock to create reinforced concrete foundations. Noise levels will be monitored and noise attenuation procedures are in place to reduce impacts on local residents. The work will require closing the right lane of traffic in that area between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, March 30; Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1, 2015.
Three Thruway Lanes Closed During Overnights of Tuesday, March 31 (Northbound) and Wednesday, April 1 (Southbound)
The three right lanes of the northbound Thruway will be closed from exit 9 (Tarrytown – Sleepy Hollow – NY Route 9) to exit 10 (Nyack – South Nyack – Route 9W), including the Tappan Zee Bridge, from 9 p.m., Tuesday, March. 31 to 4:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 1. One lane will remain open during the closure. The closures are necessary to accommodate road-striping work.
Road striping also will require closing the three right lanes of the southbound Thruway toll plaza in Tarrytown from 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 1 to 5 a.m., Thursday, April 2 (nine plaza lanes will remain open). The work also will necessitate closing the southbound exit 9 off-ramp to Route 9 from 10 p.m., Wednesday, April 1 to 5 a.m., Thursday, April 2. Traffic that would otherwise use exit 9 will be detoured to exit 8A, as shown below:
Turn-by-turn directions for southbound exit 9 closure detour:
- Exit onto the exit 8A off-ramp;
- At the end of the long ramp, turn right on westbound Route 119/White Plains Road;
- Enter westbound I-287, which merges with northbound I-87;
- Exit onto the exit 9 off-ramp;
- Turn left onto westbound Route 119/White Plains Road; and
- Turn left or right on Route 9, depending on your destination.
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 that are now back in operation. Teams will also erect formwork for the cast-in-place pier columns, which will eventually support the 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. The foundation work in South Nyack utilizes sheet piles to support the soil during construction of the foundation walls. Sheet pile installation will continue during daytime hours and noise attenuation procedures are in place to reduce impacts on the neighboring public. Environmental engineers will also be on site to monitor the noise levels.
TZC will continue limited 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 atNewNYBridge.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 this 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.
