Past bridge-building projects in this city have been deadly: as the New York Times notes, more than 20 people died during the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in the late 19th century; three people lost their lives while raising the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in the 1960s; and one worker died during the construction of the existing Tappan Zee Bridge in the 1950s.
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A full closure of the Tappan Zee Bridge was in effect for much of Tuesday afternoon after a crane collapsed, narrowly missing vehicles and causing epic tie-ups.
No cars were hit when the crane collapsed and no one was seriously hurt. Traffic was backed up to at least exit 13 on the southbound side of the New York Thruway around 7 a.m. Wednesday. It is not clear at this stage what caused the crane to collapse however while the machine has been reported by local news outlets as being comparatively new.
Andrew Cuomo, New York Governor was quoted in press reports as saying, “Miraculously, there were no serious injuries”. Construction on the bridge began in 2013, and though it has seen its share of terrifyingly large cranes, no bridge workers have died or sustained serious injuries so far. “It’s a problem with the crane, a problem with the hammer or it’s operator error, and that’s what the investigation will show”, says Terry Towle, of Tappan Zee Constructors. Officials said five people suffered minor injuries. The Coast Guard said Westchester County police rescued the crane operator, but other officials did not confirm that account.
511NY.org said that, since some lane restrictions remain in the southbound direction, continuing traffic delays can be expected and that motorists are advised to seek alternate routes. “It shook the whole bridge”, he said. It is being built alongside the original Tappan Zee, which dates to 1955.
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In March, a 90-foot-long tugboat hit a construction barge near the bridge site and sank, killing three crew members.
