The New York Thruway Authority has picked the lowest priced design option for a new Tappan Zee bridge north of New York City.
The new bridge is to replace the current Tappan Zee bridge about 20 miles north of New York City. The current one was built in the 1950s. Some of the reasons the authority has given for a needing a new bridge are the current bridge's high accident rate, excessive traffic, lack of emergency lane, and high costs of maintenance over the next 20 years.
On December 5 a state advisory board announced it supported the least expensive, $3.14 billion option for the new bridge. The other options were estimated to cost $3.99 billion and $4.06 billion.
Along with the costs of these three options, the Thruway Authority projects that there would be additional costs of $600 million to $800 million over five years for project financing and management, oversight, contingencies and aesthetic improvements.
On Monday the authority selected the cheapest option.
"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 New York governor Andrew Cuomo. "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 the 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."
