Why is it Taking So Long to Replace the Tappan Zee?

The Tappan Zee Bridge, which crosses the Hudson, is falling apart at the seams. So why is it taking so long to repair?

1 minute read

June 16, 2011, 9:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Galinas explains that the bridge is highly used, and in an advancing state of disrepair. So why is it taking so long for anyone to do anything about it?

Galinas writes:

"New York State, after more than a decade of halfhearted attempts to start building a replacement, remains at least another decade away from finishing a new bridge-in fact, a half-decade away from even beginning the project. This failure reflects a lack of political will, a weakness that threatens the Empire State's capacity to grow."

She explains that the Tappan Zee "...was one of the last bridges to arise under a vanished American way of doing things: build stuff first, ask questions later."

"No governor today could build a massive public-works project with so little public input."

Thursday, June 16, 2011 in City Journal

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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