Construction on the Tappan Zee Bridge started in 1952, at the height of the Korean War. Because of a materials shortage during the war, the bridge was constructed cheaply and designed to last only 50 years. The Hudson River crossing has now been standing for 60, and the New York State Thruway Authority is considering designs for a replacement.
The above image is a rendering the likeliest candidate for the bridge’s redesign, which was recommended from a field of three candidates by a Cuomo-approved selection committee. It will likely cost somewhere between $3 and $4.5 billion, though the plan for financing it has not yet been released. The thruway committee will consider the proposals December 17, with hopes to finish construction by 2017.
Thanks for this post.
ReplyDeleteNice to see new engineering projects. But this design is still so "engineer-y" (blocky, pragmatic, not very elegant). I wish we would hire better designers like Santiago Calatrava (a civil engineer) to design our bridges. These things will be around for 100 years for more, it would just be nice to have someone other than the NYCDOT committees design them...We need more civic pride in these matters. This is why the Brooklyn Museum renovation is so successful: the intangible element of good design.
Link to bridges by Calatrava: organic, elegant and beautiful IMO:
http://tinyurl.com/aqm7p7z