Aug 13, 2007 9:02 pm US/Eastern
Thruway Authority: Tappan Zee Is 'Absolutely Safe'
Despite Passing Grade, Aging Span Needs Major Facelift
by Andrew Kirtzman
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (CBS) ―
In wake of the Minneapolis bridge collapse, New York officials are taking a closer look at our bridges. On Monday, inspectors started scrutinizing one bridge that's brought anxiety to motorists for years.
From a distance, the Tappan Zee Bridge is a thing of beauty. But up close, there are workers trying to shore up a structure so battered that a lot of drivers actually fear it.
"Since the Minnesota crash, when we go over the bridge, we open our windows because we have electric windows, and God forbid you go under water the electricity doesn't work you can't get out," driver Bert Saunders said.
On Monday, inspectors descended upon the Tappan Zee to assess its safety.
It was one of 49 bridges that Gov. Eliot Spitzer ordered inspected in wake of the disaster in Minneapolis. The design of the Tappan Zee has some similarities to the bridge that collapsed.
After just a few hours, a spokesman for the inspectors gave the bridge a passing grade.
"The bridge is absolutely safe, absolutely is," said Stephen Grabowski, deputy division director of the New York State Thruway Authority. "Are there problems with the bridge? Yes, and we're addressing the problems."
There has been a long debate over the future of this bridge. The state spends almost $40 million a year to repair it. Many want to scrap it and build a new bridge entirely.
The problems are legion, ranging from rusting beams to decaying roads. On Monday, the inspectors discovered a small crater that required them to temporarily close two lanes of traffic.
Some are wary of the bridge. Others feel it's just an old structure that needs to be maintained.
"Well to me that Tappan Zee Bridge ... I don't drive it that much because I don't feel that it's that safe," one driver said.
Added another motorist: "I think that the bridge is fine. I think that it could be used for another 50 years with maintenance, like all bridges need to be maintained."
The inspections are expected to last through the end of the month.
The state is currently spending $150 million to replace 40 percent of the bridge's roads.
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