The New York State Thruway Authority reported slow going on Interstate 87 at the Tappan Zee Bridge Wednesday morning following a crane collapse that shut down the bridge on Tuesday afternoon, July 19.
Six of the seven lanes on the bridge have been reopened to traffic, and the detours put in place yesterday have been taken down. The remaining lane – the right lane heading toward Westchester County – will remain closed until further notice as crews work on repairs.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it could be some time before the lane is reopened.
“We did inspections on the bridge. There is surface damage to one lane, which is the southernmost lane on the bridge. And it is what I would call significant damage. It’s clearly visible; it’s several feet. And there is also some structural damage to that lane underneath the bridge,” Cuomo said.
It was just a little after noon local time on Tuesday when the crane – which was being used as part of the construction of a new bridge next to the old one – collapsed, blocking all lanes of traffic and shutting down the bridge for hours.
The crane didn’t hit any cars, but three drivers were injured as they swerved to avoid the falling machine. Two workers were also injured. None of the injuries were serious. The cause of the collapse is still under investigation.
