The Thruway Authority voted on December 17 on Proposal 1 out of the three proposed designs for a new Tappan Zee Bridge and awarded the contract to construct the new Tappan Zee Bridge to Tappan Zee Constructors.
"After more than a decade of gridlock and millions of taxpayer dollars spent, we have ended the dysfunction of the past and have a new bridge proposal ready to break ground next year,” said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, in a press release. “Following an extensive review of all three proposal submissions, the Thruway Board has selected the Tappan Zee Constructors' plan which offers New York toll payers the biggest bang for their buck - with the best price, shortest construction time, minimal dredging, and can accommodate mass transit in the future. This is a major milestone for a bridge project that was a metaphor for the dysfunction of government and is now a national model for progress."
The selected design – proposal 1 – received the unanimous vote of the selection committee assigned this task earlier this month.
"It's clearly the best-value option, and will give us a crossing we can be proud of,” said David Aukland, who is on the selection committee. “This experienced builder will understand the importance of minimizing inconvenience for local residents during construction. The Village expects to work closely with the Thruway Authority and the builder to avoid surprises, and to plan features that will be important to Tarrytown, such as the configuration of the pedestrian and bike landing."
After a decade of study, Cuomo fast-tracked the project in 2011. There have been 80 community meetings and counting. The three proposals under consideration came by way of an unwieldy 750,000 pages in boxes. Wednesday’s presentation luckily arrived in a photo-full 23-page PDF.
The $3.1 billion design is the cheapest of the three proposals
- Pricetag: $3.142 Billion
- Construction time: 5 years, 2.5 months
- Mass transit ready
- Meets environmental standards
"This proposal provides the best price, the shortest construction time, and the least impact on the Hudson River," said Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef. "It maximizes the use of taxpayer and toll payer dollars."
"The selection of the proposal by Tappan Zee Constructors delivers on three critical fronts: cost, completion time, and mass transit readiness to carry express buses on day one,” said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. “And after so many years of gridlock, building a safer and less congested bridge as soon as possible is the most attractive option for Westchester. I thank the Governor and his team for their thorough review and for the appointment of the mass transit task force that will identify short, medium and long term transit solutions for the new bridge and the I-287 corridor."
The mass transit task force was announced earlier this month as well with 28 members.
Here are more statements from other local leaders on the new bridge selection: http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/12172012newtappanzeebridge
