Troubled bridge over water

Damaged piece of old Tappan Zee threatens new span

Cuomo Bridge opening delayed by damaged Tappan Zee.

The opening of the second span of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in New York on Saturday was delayed after a piece of its predecessor, the old Tappan Zee Bridge, which is parallel to it, became destabilized and threatened to fall, officials said.

Matthew J. Driscoll, executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority, said in a statement Saturday that the Tappan Zee was being evaluated but that the new span of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge would remain closed until the authority was “assured there is no risk to the new span.”

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo told reporters Saturday that contractors on Friday had discovered a damaged and rusted piece of the old bridge that could pose a potential threat to the new span.

“We want to move the traffic over as quickly as possible,” Cuomo said. “The new bridge is ready.”

The Coast Guard closed the main federal navigation channel of the Hudson River on Friday after the structural issue was found. On Saturday, the Coast Guard reopened the western part of the river to vessels that checked with the patrol commander enforcing the safety zone, but it said the eastern half remained closed because of the destabilized bridge.

The first span of the new bridge, a $4 billion project, opened last year after decades of wrangling over whether to repair the Tappan Zee or build a new bridge.