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

NY Times ^ | January 17, 2006 | PATRICK McGEEHAN

[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.