Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge

The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge was designed and built by Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC), a consortium of some of the world's best-known and most highly-regarded design, engineering and construction firms, including Fluor, American Bridge, Granite and Traylor Bros., along with key design firms HDR, Buckland & Taylor, URS and GZA.

TZC worked closely on the project with a team of employees from the New York State Thruway Authority and the State Department of Transportation. The 3.1-mile twin span cable-stayed bridge is the single largest bridge construction project in New York's history and one of the largest single design-build contracts for a transportation project in the United States. The bridge revitalized the prior Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge that connected Rockland County to Westchester County over the Hudson River.

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Client's Challenge

The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge was needed because the number of vehicles crossing the bridge every day far exceeded the number the previous bridge was designed to handle, traffic jams and delays were a regular occurrence, accident rates were high and maintenance costs on the old bridge were expected to be $3 to 4 billion over the next 20 years. The bridge carries 140,000 vehicles daily. Approximately 50 million vehicles crossed the Tappan Zee Bridge in 2016.

After more than a decade of delay, the new bridge to replace the Tappan Zee became a reality. The new bridge was designed and constructed to last 100 years without major structural maintenance.

The new bridge is a visually striking, recognizable landmark, and one of the widest cable-stayed structures of its kind in the world.

The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge will mean less congestion for motorists, with eight traffic lanes, four breakdown/emergency lanes, and state-of-the-art traffic monitoring systems, as well as a dedicated commuter bus lane. Designed and constructed to be mass-transit-ready, the new crossing will be able to accommodate bus rapid transit, light rail or commuter rail. The bridge also includes a bike and pedestrian path.

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Fluor's Solution

TZC is a strategically formed consortium of design-builders created to deliver the best project team to successfully build the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge on time and within budget while achieving the highest environmental standards.

The TZC team partnership is based on aligning cultures within each firm that will steer the strategic planning throughout the project. These key cultures shared by the team start with a no-nonsense outlook on safety.

TZC team members all share excellent safety records and invest great resources and planning to ensure that each employee is trained and prepared to work in a safe environment.

TZC set aside 10 percent of the total project budget as the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal, which equates to about $314 million in subcontract opportunities. DBEs were encouraged to attend TZC's monthly orientation meetings, where they met with DBE program and procurement team members.

Conclusion

TZC is proud to have been selected to design and build the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. The team understands the importance of this project to the New York area and is committed to supplement the New York State Thruway Authority's Public Information Plan with a proactive approach to public involvement and community outreach.

Construction began in late 2013. The first span opened to drivers in August 2017, shifting all four westbound lanes of traffic from the existing bridge. The second span opened in September 2018.

The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge is one of the largest single design-build contracts for a transportation project in the United States and is the largest bridge in New York State history. The National Steel Bridge Alliance recognized the project team with its 2020 Prize Bridge Award in the Major Span category.

Photos Courtesy New York State Thruway Authority.