SHARE

Save The Date: Opening Day For First Half Of New Tappan Zee Bridge Unveiled

Attention commuters, mark Friday, Aug. 25 on your calendar. 

The first half of the new bridge will open to traffic on Friday, Aug. 25.

The first half of the new bridge will open to traffic on Friday, Aug. 25.

Photo Credit: New York/New Bridge

That's the day the first half of the new Tappan Zee Bridge replacement will open to traffic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.

The governor made the announcement during the Association for a Better New York breakfast in New York City. 

The bridge will fully open in 2018.

The opening of the first span of the TZB will come just over three years since construction commenced on the nearly $4 billion project

The bridge, which will be named after Cuomo's late father, former Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, will shift from the current bridge onto two spans when completed sometime in 2018 at a cost of $3.9 billion.

On the evening of Friday, Aug. 25, into Saturday morning, Aug. 26, the Thruway Authority and TZC will shift four lanes of Rockland-bound traffic to the new span, the governor's office said.

 Four lanes of eastbound/southbound traffic will remain on the existing bridge.

The new traffic configuration will remain in effect for a couple of months until the Westchester-bound traffic will be shifted to the new span, utilizing four lanes of traffic, the governor's office said.

The traffic on the new span will be separated by a jersey barrier and that traffic pattern will remain in effect until the second span is completed.

"The opening of the first span of the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge next month is a clear message that after decades of stagnation, New York is building our transportation infrastructure better, safer and more efficiently than ever,"  Cuomo said. "This major milestone in the project to replace the aging Tappan Zee Bridge will be the first step in alleviating congestion for commuters while offering a state-of-the-art link over the Hudson River, built to last for generations to come."

to follow Daily Voice White Plains and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE