Though several months away from the official opening, it is now possible to drive across the entire 3-mile length of the new Tappan Zee Bridge, a major crossing over the Hudson River in the suburbs of New York City.
Also known as the New NY Bridge, this new structure is replacing the original that opened in 1955. That span will be torn down after the new bridge opens.
The New York State Thruway Authority, the bridge’s owner, expects that either shortly before or during the fall, four lanes on this new 96-ft-wide, cable-stayed bridge will be opened to vehicles traveling westbound. Though commuters will still have to wait for this section to open up, the New York Times reports that the current condition of the bridge can support a caravan of large trucks driving across.
Eastbound traffic will still have to use the existing bridge for a few months, but then will share the new crossing with westbound vehicles while workers start taking apart the old decaying bridge.
