Bridge Update: Soil, Surveys, Deck Work, Jobs

In Tappan Zee Bridge replacement news this week:

The Mass Transit Task Force meets regularly, though seems to be itching for a real proposal to debate. The NY Thruway announces a week of various surveys and samplings everywhere from the barges on the water to possibly your property. There’s a forum for business owners and residents in Mt. Vernon today who want to learn about economic opportunities to come. Finally, that ongoing deck replacement work is still underway on the existing bridge.

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NY State Thruway promises another active week in pre-construction land and water as crews will be testing soil, surveying properties, and installing construction monitors that will remain for the duration of the five-year-long project.

"Geotechnical investigations" done relatively quietly on barges under the bridge goes on 24-hours a day on weekdays and possibly Saturdays, while land and water and limited test boring operations will be conducted at certain sites from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Crews wil be surveying land for design details at the Westchester Haul Road location on the NYS Thruway property in Tarrytown and surveying properties inside and out closest to the construction as arranged with property owners.

For the full news release click here.

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Deck replacement work continues this week, though it was cancelled Monday night due to expected inclement weather. Click here for the schedule.

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The Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL)’s Vice Chair Lyndon Williams (D-Mount Vernon) has announced he's co-hosting a forum for business owners and residents on economic opportunities to come with the New Tappan Zee Bridge.

The meeting will include representatives from the Thruway Authority and the African American Chamber of Commerce for Westchester and Rockland Counties and will take place Tuesday, April 30 at 6 PM at the City Council Chamber in City Hall, Roosevelt Square, Mount Vernon. 

Topics, according to the BOL press release, will include:

• $400 million of the bridge project contracts to be awarded to contractors and businesses qualifying as a Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE), Veterans Business Enterprises (VBE) or Disadvantage Business Enterprises (DBE)
• Number of jobs to be created directly or indirectly by the project
• How to become certified as MBWE, VBE or DBE business or contractor
• Expected benefits to the local economy during the five year bridge construction project.

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On the Mass Transit Task Force front, of which Tarrytown’s Mayor Drew Fixell and Planning Board member David Aukland are members, there’s been no real news.

The formal part of their latest meeting in Suffern last week was a discussion of the current state of mass transit financing. A member expressed the hope they’d have an actual proposal put forward soon so there will be something to debate.

Looking ahead, Tom Vanderbeek (Rockland County Commissioner of Planning and Public Transportation) and Tarrytown’s Aukland will be pulling together a small group to look at transfers, which of course will include Tarrytown, Aukland said. 

Also, Thruway Director Tom Madison announced a finance subcommittee, for which Aukland will also serve. They’ll have a first meeting next Tuesday.

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