Repairs to address Mario M. Cuomo Bridge safety concerns could cost millions

Just six years after the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge opened between Rockland and Westchester counties, issues with the cables that hold up the nearly $4 billion bridge are causing safety concerns that could cost millions to fix, but who is going to fit that bill?

The New York State Thruway Authority wants to make it painfully clear that there's nothing wrong with the cables holding up the Mario Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge.

"There's no safety issue here, no need for the public to be concerned," said New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank Hoare. "The bridge is safe, it's strong."

There is an issue, however, with the 61 anchor pipes that connect the cables to the structure.

The Thruway Authority is suing the builder, claiming the materials used are of lesser quality than specified in the design contract. Each pipe will have to be retrofitted with steel sleeves.

"This is an effort to reinforce the durability of the bridge, and to get what we paid for, which is a bridge for generations to come," Hoare said.

The new bridge opened in 2017 and carries nearly 160,000 vehicles a day.

It's a clear upgrade from its predecessor, but there have been controversies - everything from its renaming to contractors claiming the Thruway Authority owes them nearly a billion dollars for costly add-ons like the pedestrian path and glass-walled scenic overlooks.

"This bridge is a jugular vein of the northeast economy," Congressman Mike Lawler said.

Lawler has written a letter asking the Thruway Authority how long the agency has known about the problem, how it's going to fix it and how much will it cost.

"Whatever needs to be done to rectify any of the structural concerns that have been raised needs to be done immediately, and there needs to be accountability on it," Lawler said.

Regardless of the status of the lawsuit, construction will begin next spring and could take up to three years to complete.

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