Tappen Zee Bridge

Its 16.38 after 945 am till midnite southbound only from 7 to 945 its 32.75. I can run into the cit pretty cheap, but your total is what I allow for

 

Yeah, I know the city tolls during peak hours... $95 for the GWB/Goethals going in, $43.50 each way for TNB/WB, $87 going out for the VNB, but usually go off peak and I have the BestPass. I think it normally runs around $50 for the GWB and like $30 for the others for me.

 

According to Wikipedia, the Tappan Zee bridge was built and opened in 1955, don't know where the info came from about poor quality wartime materials causing failure and need to replace.
The GW bridge was opened in 1931 and a 2nd deck added in the early 60's and it is no where near needing replacement.
The Brooklyn Bridge of course dates from the 1880's.
Clearly the decision to build the Tappan Zee of materials and techniques destined to early replacement was a political one driven by costs and union desires for never ending make work projects at taxpayer/toll payer expense.

 

I wonder what the status is of other bridges in the city ? Whitestone , goethels , throgs ?

 

That is a very high "curb" along the edge and in the turn the top-heavy trailer ran up on top of it raising it probably 18 inches real quick and momentum took over. That's my guess to why it layed over unexpectedly

 

Just an FYI....the Tap is NOT one of the Port Authorities Bridges....it IS part of the NYS thruway

 

The Tappan Zee was built to last 50 years due to a lack of building materials because of the Korean War.

 

No curbs on that bridge for the truck to hit. Especially being in the middle lane. It was a suspension failure as you can hear stuff popping and breaking as the trailer starts to lay over. Thats also why an axle breaks off.

 

I went to HS on the Rockland side of the bridge, and even as late as the 90's you could see evidence of how life was before the bridge.

Only 40 years prior, to get to Nyack meant a long drive up route 9W or the Palasades Parkway. The town of Old Tappan was a ferry port but the sheer cliffs further north made most of Congers and Valley Cottage pretty remote areas.

Fast forward to the 90's and it was not uncommon to still have large family owned farm parcels surrounded on all sides by cheaply built overpriced McMansion developments. I wonder how many are left 20 years later?

 

Maybe not a curb per say but I can certainly see some sort of [Jersey] barrier and the truck was not in any "middle lane"