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Mixed Messages on Tappan Zee Safety

At a News 12-sponsored town hall meeting on June 28, Larry Schwartz, Governor Cuomo’s chief of staff and new point person for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project said of the bridge: “It is old. It is congested. It is unsafe.”

While Schwartz’s claims seem to suggest an urgent need to replace the Tappan Zee immediately, his statement represents an abrupt about-face from the Cuomo administration. Here’s a sampling of statements that the administration has made in the past few months, all unequivocally asserting that the bridge is safe:

In addition, documents predating the current administration also found the bridge to be safe:

  • Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor Project FAQs: “Q4 – Is the Tappan Zee Bridge safe? A – Yes, the Tappan Zee Bridge is safe. The New York State Thruway Authority operates a regular program of scheduled maintenance designed specifically to ensure that the bridge is safe for travel. The bridge also receives a detailed inspection every two years by qualified engineers.”
  • Thruway Authority Tappan Zee Bridge Deck Replacement Project FAQs: “Q – Is the bridge safe? A – Absolutely the Tappan Zee Bridge is safe. The New York State Thruway Authority follows a very stringent and thorough Bridge Inspection Program, as mandated by current Federal and State guidelines, and will continue to do so. Every two years, the Tappan Zee Bridge undergoes an inspection. In addition, interim inspections are conducted on the Tappan Zee Bridge to ensure that the bridge is maintained and operated safely and efficiently.”

There is little disagreement that the existing bridge is beyond its useful life and must be replaced. Recent comments made by various state officials about the bridge’s safety are important and necessary to allay concerns of those crossing the bridge, but Mr. Schwartz’s recent comment undermines this assurance. It is important that the state deliver a consistent message on the bridge’s safety moving forward. The public’s legitimate concerns over the aging bridge should not be used to bolster a fabricated sense of urgency that the bridge project must move forward expediently because “it is unsafe.”

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Marc
Marc
12 years ago

I think they are just using the word “safe” in two different ways.

Is it safe in the sense that it is not in danger of falling down? Yes. The state is spending tons of money to inspect it on a very regular basis and monitor it. But it is getting really old and undergoing stresses it wasn’t designed for.

Is it safe in the sense that no one ever crashes on the bridge? No. The extreme congestion and lack of shoulders does kind of make the bridge unsafe. (Though the safety improvements of the new bridge could arguably be offset by the increased amount of traffic crossing the new bridge.)

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tom murphy
tom murphy
12 years ago

There are many problems that NYS must address. Is the BQE cantilevered highway under Brooklyn Heights safe, for how long?

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[…] have been mixed messages about the safety of this aging span, there is little disagreement that the bridge has surpassed its useful life. We can’t say […]

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[…] have been mixed messages about the safety of this aging span, there is little disagreement that the bridge has surpassed its useful life. We can’t say for […]

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