Tappan Zee Bridge (2017–present)
The Tappan Zee Bridge, officially named the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge after the former New York governor, is a twin cable-stayed bridge spanning the Tappan Zee section of the Hudson River between Tarrytown and Nyack in the U.S. state of New York. It was built to replace the original Tappan Zee Bridge opened in 1955, which was located just to the south. The bridge's north span carries the northbound and westbound automobile traffic of the New York State Thruway, Interstate 87 (I-87) and I-287; it also carries a shared use path for bicycles and pedestrians. The south span carries southbound and eastbound automobile traffic.
Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (Tappan Zee Bridge) | |
|---|---|
The bridge in 2020 | |
| Coordinates | 41°04′17″N 73°53′28″W |
| Carries | I-87 / I-287 / New York Thruway 8 automobile lanes, 2 bus lanes, 2 bicycle/pedestrian lanes |
| Crosses | Hudson River |
| Locale | Connecting South Nyack (Rockland County) and Tarrytown (Westchester County) |
| Official name | Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge |
| Other name(s) | New Tappan Zee Bridge; New NY Bridge |
| Maintained by | New York State Thruway Authority |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | dual-span cable-stayed twin bridge |
| Total length | 16,368 ft (4,989.0 m; 3.1 mi; 5.0 km) |
| Width | 183 ft (56 m), total of both decks: 87 ft (27 m) and 96 ft (29 m) |
| Height | 419 ft (128 m) |
| Longest span | 1,200 ft (370 m) |
| Clearance above | unlimited |
| Clearance below | 139 ft (42 m) |
| History | |
| Construction start | 2013 |
| Construction cost | $3.9 billion (2013 project budget) |
| Opened | August 26, 2017 (westbound/northbound span) September 11, 2018 (eastbound/southbound span) |
| Replaces | Tappan Zee Bridge (1955–2017) |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | Cars $7.48 Tolls-by-Mail; $6.61 non-NY E-ZPass; $5.75 NY E-ZPass (eastbound/southbound only) Larger vehicles pay variable toll based on vehicle class and time of day (cashless toll) |
| Location | |
Although not as old as other bridges such as the George Washington, the original Tappan Zee was built in the midst of a material shortage during the Korean War and was thus only designed to last for approximately fifty years. The process to replace the bridge kicked off in 2012, with construction on the new spans beginning by contractor Tappan Zee Constructors in 2013. The Left Coast Lifter (one of the world's biggest cranes) was instrumental in the construction of the bridge. The north span officially opened to westbound traffic on August 26, 2017, and eastbound traffic temporarily began using the north span on October 6, 2017. Contractors then began demolishing the old bridge. An opening ceremony for the south span was held on September 7, 2018, and traffic started using the new span three days later.
The bridge's official name, which does not include the words "Tappan Zee" like its predecessor, has been controversial since its announcement. A petition and several legislative bills have sought to officially rename the bridge to the Tappan Zee Bridge or similar names.