Call for probe of Gov. Mario M. Cuomo bridge
Rep. Mondaire Jones joins calls for structural integrity investigation
U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones joins lawmakers asking for a federal investigation of its structural integrity.
U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones has joined the chorus of lawmakers calling for a federal investigation of the structural integrity of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo bridge in response to a Times Union investigation that revealed the company that built the structure had concealed that bolts were breaking at the height of the project.
The newspaper's story also raised questions about the thoroughness of the state's investigations into those allegations, and cited the findings of experts who questioned the conclusions in a report commissioned by the Thruway Authority that determined the bolt failures are not a continuing concern.
Mondaire, in a letter he sent this week to Pete Buttigieg, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, urged Buttigieg to "use your authority to open an investigation into these claims and (I) implore you to work with the New York state Department of Transportation to ensure proper inspections are conducted to assure the public of the safety of the bridge."
The congressman's letter was sent after members of the state Assembly's Republican conference have called for a federal investigation of the same issued. The members of the chamber's minority conference wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general earlier this week requesting "an immediate investigation to ensure the bridge is safe and that state officials, private contractors and others involved in the bridge’s completion acted appropriately."
Mondaire and other lawmakers in that region have expressed concerns about the bridge's long term safety.
"It is key to the economic success of the region and critical to the livelihood of my constituents, many thousands of whom use the bridge to commute to and from work,:" he wrote. "I urge you to immediately begin a thorough and transparent investigation in coordination with the New York Department of Transportation into the structural integrity of the bridge and address any concerns about its safety."
In 2017, the New York state attorney general launched an investigation into concerns raised by a whistleblower regarding the structural integrity of bolts used in the construction process of the bridge. That investigation, conducted by the Thruway Authority and the state Inspector General's office, recently resulted in a $2 million settlement with the state, although most documents in the case remain sealed. Tappan Zee Constructors has appealed the recent decision by the judge in the case to lift the seal and is seeking to have the records permanently sealed.
Earlier this week Tappan Zee Constructors issued a statement affirming its position that the bridge is safe.
"TZC unequivocally stands by the quality of our work and the safety of the bridge. The construction companies that make up TZC and its bridge designer have built many of the major crossings in the New York area, including the former Tappan Zee Bridge, and have a long history of excellence," the company said. "TZC performed additional testing and inspection measures of the high strength bolts on the bridge. This was in addition to the independent sampling and testing methods completed as part of the fabrication, construction, and quality assurance processes. The testing, including the testing performed by the laboratory retained by the state as part of its investigation, has confirmed that the bolts are in conformance with applicable industry standards."
Jamey Barbas, the Thruway Authority's project director for the bridge work, issued a statement this week disputing the bridge has any structural issues.
"Upon learning of the allegations of bolt failures in 2016, not only did the Thruway Authority immediately inform the inspector general, we spent more than ($1 million) and engaged world-renowned subject matter experts, developed a testing program, conducted extensive studies, and tested well over five hundred bolts," Barbas said. "The tests confirmed that the bolts met or exceeded the requirements set forth by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The very small number of bolts that were broken is not a cause for safety concern on such a large bridge consisting of more than one million bolts."