A Bridge That Has Nowhere Left to Go (NY's Tappan Zee Bridge)

NY Times ^ | January 17, 2006 | PATRICK McGEEHAN

[neverdem]

The Tappan Zee Bridge, the most critical transportation link across the Hudson River north of New York City, is not even half as old as the Brooklyn Bridge, but its warranty has already expired.

Started on the cheap during the Korean War, the Tappan Zee was deliberately built to last just 50 years. It passed that milestone last month, just days after transportation planners began gathering public advice about how to fix or replace it.

But the decaying, overburdened span's anniversary was more bitter than sweet. Little love has been lost between the Tappan Zee and the tens of thousands of commuters who depend on it. They complain about the poor condition of its roadway and the backups caused by every breakdown and flat tire.

Even before it was built, the bridge's own designers said it would be one of the "ugliest" in the region. Half a century later, the Tappan Zee has not aged gracefully. There are cracks in its concrete columns, its superstructure is rusting away and its deck is nearly worn through.

The New York State Thruway Authority, which owns the 3.1-mile-long bridge carrying the Thruway over the Hudson, has said that the deck, some structural steel, the concrete walkway and electrical systems have "deteriorated significantly." The authority plans to spend more than $100 million next year just to patch the bridge's holes and replace some of its corroded steel, a process sure to make travel even slower for commuters.

Catching daily glimpses of the long cracks in the bridge's superstructure frightens Brett Ruskin, who drives from his home in Monsey across the Tappan Zee to Tarrytown, where he catches a Metro-North train to Grand Central Terminal. "My biggest concern is not so much the traffic, because the big problem with the Tappan Zee Bridge is it's..."

[neverdem]

Librado Romero/The New York Times
The Tappan Zee Bridge was built to last only 50 years, and its time is up, with its roadway deteriorating and superstructure rusting.

Librado Romero/The New York Times
The Tappan Zee Bridge has exceeded its planned life. But the question of how to repair or replace it is still far from resolved.

[Richard Kimball]

What if they build a tunnel? I heard that worked out great in Boston.

[GovernmentShrinker]

DON'T give them any ideas! I'm a NY taxpayer!!!

[neverdem]

FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list. Here's some good news.

Steve Malzberg returns to the New York airwaves.

[commish]

What if they build a tunnel? I heard that worked out great in Boston.

oh oh pick me. They can make prefab tunnel sections and sink em in the river, that will make the construction go by so much faster and cheaper.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Translation: "We need $150 Billion ASAP. Send it now."

[scrabblehack]

Aren't most of the bridges in NYC toll bridges? You would think that with the money they collect in tolls they could build a new bridge with no problem.

[oceanview]

the toll money goes to subsidize mass transit, and pay the pensions of the TBTA and MTA workers.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Last toll I paid on a NYC bridge was $10, this to drive half a mile. It's a racket. They always want more, and the East Coast sheeple always pay.

PS: California is equally bad, trust me.

[oceanview]

the reason they don't build a new one is because of the NIMBYs on either side who don't want it. they block it, and tie it up in the courts with environmental impact studies - while the current bridge decays.

[durasell]

Robert Moses would know how to handle NIMBYs!

[Westlander]

'built to last only 50 years'

Dumb from the get go.

http://www.mackinacbridge.org/

[tom h]

"Last toll I paid on a NYC bridge was $10, this to drive half a mile. "

Ditto that. I drove from La Guardia airport to Connecticut recently and had to cross three bridges. Total toll was $20. I was on business so I expensed it but can you imagine if that was what you paid to commute? $40/day, $200/week, $10,000/year. I wouldn't live in NYC for $300K/year.

[se_ohio_young_conservative]

Anything built during the Korean war is not really "top quality"...obviously

[TBP]

I went to high school just one town south of the Tappan Zee Bridge (go Bulldogs) and I still go up to Westchester/Rockland as often as I can, using the TAppan Zee Bridge fiarly often. I haven't seen any problem with it. It's a great bridge, and if you look to your right crossing from the west, you can see the skyline. (Of course, there seem to be a couple of things missing from the skyline.)

[decal]

"Dumb from the get go."

That's what's bugging me - why build a bridge designed for only 50 years' use in the first place? That doesn't even make good nonsense.

As an aside, my wife grew up in St Ignace, and she'll be tickled pink to see this link of the Mac - many thanks for it.

[neverdem]

Aren't most of the bridges in NYC toll bridges?

No, just some of the major bridges are toll bridges.

You would think that with the money they collect in tolls they could build a new bridge with no problem.

This bridge is 15 - 20 miles north of the northern limit of NY City.

Q: How many bridges are there in New York City? How many are under the jurisdiction of DOT?
A: There are 2,027 bridges in New York City. DOT's Division of Bridges is responsible for the design, construction, maintenance and operation of the 790 bridges (including 6 tunnels) and 67 culverts presently under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation.

[Steven Scharf]

[quote]Ditto that. I drove from La Guardia airport to Connecticut recently and had to cross three bridges. Total toll was $20.[/quote]

You were taken. You should have taken only one bridge between LaGuardia and Connecticut. The Whitestone or the Throgs Neck Bridge.

[Roccus]

You must have taken a cab. Only have to cross one bridge to get to CT. from LAG. Either the Whitestone or the Throggs Neck. That cabby saw you commin'!

[fallujah-nuker]

One proposed design for a new Tappan Zee bridge.