The nearly $4 billion bridge over the Tappan Zee – officially called the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge – opened with great fanfare six years ago, but now the New York State Thruway Authority is suing the consortium that built it, claiming some of its components did not meet contractual standards.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday in state Supreme Court in Albany and alleges that Tappan Zee Constructors breached its contract by refusing to redo the work after the bridge’s project manager deemed it unsuitable, among other things. The NYSTA is seeking at least $6 million in damages.
“The New York State Thruway Authority is committed to ensuring contractors comply with construction codes to guarantee that toll payers get what they paid for during the construction of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge,” NYSTA spokeswoman Jennifer Givner said in a statement.
In an interview with CBS6 Albany, NYSTA Executive Director Frank Hoare said the agency was particularly concerned about 31 of the bridge’s 192 anchor tubes. However, Givner said independent experts have confirmed that the bridge is safe.
The lawsuit is the latest development in a larger dispute between the NYSTA and Tappan Zee Constructors. In 2021, the consortium filed a lawsuit against the NYSTA seeking nearly $1 billion. That lawsuit was later dropped.
NYSTA builds, maintains and operates the New York State Thruway, a toll road system that stretches nearly 600 miles and connects the state’s largest cities. The bridge is an important part of that, carrying more than 50 million vehicles across the Tappan Zee section of the Hudson River each year. About 140,000 vehicles use the bridge every day. At 3.1 miles, it is also the longest bridge in the state.
The bridge opened in 2018, replacing the older Tappan Zee Bridge, whose structural integrity had long been questioned. The new bridge’s website states that it is designed to last 100 years without requiring major structural maintenance.
Rep. Mike Lawler, whose district includes the areas surrounding the bridge, sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state officials on Thursday expressing concern about reports of structural defects on the bridge.
“As the largest bridge on the highway system, safety concerns regarding the bridge are a serious concern for all residents,” he wrote in the letter.
Tappan Zee Constructors could not be reached for comment.
