The new bridge to replace the Tappan Zee Bridge, located north of New York City, is now under construction after more than a decade of delay. Steel company Gerdau made its first delivery to the project in August, and will supply approximately 32,000 tons of concrete reinforcing steel over the next several years.
The Tappan Zee Bridge spans across one of the widest points of the Hudson River, connecting Rockland County and Westchester County. The replacement bridge, which will be known as the New NY Bridge, will be a dual-span twin bridge with eight general traffic lanes, four emergency lanes and a dedicated commuter bus lane. It will also feature a bike and pedestrian path with scenic overlooks.
The bulk of the steel will be manufactured at Gerdau's steel mill in Sayreville, N.J., and fabricated at the company's reinforcing steel facility in Perth Amboy, N.J.
The bridge is being designed and built by Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC), a consortium of Fluor Enterprises, Inc., American Bridge Company, Granite Construction Northeast, Inc., and Traylor Bros., Inc. TZC is working closely on the project with a team of employees from the New York State Thruway Authority and the State Dept. of Transportation. The first span of the bridge is scheduled to open in 2016, and the project should be complete by 2018.