NY AG Probes 60 Bolts Discarded During Cuomo Bridge Construction

Concerns are being raised now about 60 broken bolts discarded in the construction of the new bridge over the Tappan Zee. There is no worry about safety on the Mario Cuomo Bridge, which was completed for traffic earlier this year.

The bolts broke during construction in 2016; the New York Thruway Authority started testing in 2016; and now the state Attorney General's Office is investigating a possible cover-up. The question is whether or not the contractors tried to hide the fact that 60 bolts broke, out of the million or so bolts used for the project, according to Westchester News 12.

Laura Ware, spokeswoman for Tappan Zee Constructors, said:

“To the extent that inquiries or concerns have been raised regarding the quality of the A490 bolts, Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC) has fully cooperated by providing documentation, hundreds of actual bolts for testing and access to our employees. To date, all bolt testing performed by multiple parties indicates there is not an issue with the bolts. Despite TZC’s continuous request that it be provided with any updated information concerning the quality of the A490 bolts, TZC has not been provided with, nor is it aware of any information that is contrary to these bolt testing results. TZC has demonstrated a constant willingness to address any additional issues and will continue to do so.”

There were multiple levels of testing for bolts used on the bridge during the years of construction.

“As expected in any infrastructure project of this size, the New NY Bridge project team required rigorous standards for all quality control and assurance processes in both its design and construction," a spokesperson for the Thruway Authority told Patch. "In early 2016, independent experts began testing and later concluded that both the bolts and the bridge were safe long before either span of the bridge opened to traffic. Public safety is our highest priority and the bridge is completely safe for the traveling public.”

Photo: Bridge construction August 2018/ credit: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Editor's Note: This article has been revised to include the statement from Tappan Zee Constructors.