Use TZB as Long as Possible: Officials

The project to replace the Tappan Zee Bridge remains on target to open in 2018, officials said.

They have decided agains opening one span of the “New New York Bridge” in December 2017 as originally planned -- but not because of construction delays.

The change was made because the designers and builders re-thought their plan and concluded it provided no benefits and caused some problems, said Executive Director Bob Megna during a Thruway Authority progress report Nov. 9.

“Once you start a very big construction project like this it tends to evolve so you can see things that maybe in your original design aren’t as adequate or as necessary as you thought they would be,” he said.

“It’s advantageous to keep traffic on the original bridge as long as possible...That would promote safety, it would promote speed on the bridge, it would promote traffic flow.”

If the first new span were opened, and traffic was switched to it, conditions for drivers would not improve from the TZB -- still only four lanes in the direction of peak traffic at rush hour; 11-foot-wide lanes with no shoulders; and no emergency-vehicle access for accidents.

And some things would be worse for drivers-- contending with new traffic patterns during the worst weather months, with an awkward angle and bad bank that would slow traffic.

”There was no reward...so it’s not worth taking the risk to do it,“ he said.

Instead, the Thruway Authority was able to resequence some construction. The bridge is still on time and within the $3.98 billion budget.

“This is a project that in the past year, 18 months, has really gathered steam,” Megna said. ”Anyone who drives over the bridge can see that.”

Tolls won’t rise in 2016, and a new advisory task force will study and make recommendations on toll issues including questions of commuter discounts.

The report highlighted the work in 2015:

• I Lift NY Super Crane 1st Lift April 2015
• Pile Driving (phase 1) Complete June 2015
• 1st Steel Girder Placed June 2015
• Main Span Towers Begin August 2015
• All Planned Dredging Complete September 2015
• 1st Concrete Deck Panel Placed October 2015

Watch the Thruway Authority’s meeting with the bridge progress report here.

PHOTO: cover of bridge progress report powerpoint presentation.