Obama fast-tracks federal approval for Tappan Zee bridge construction

Construction on the Tappan Zee Bridge could start as early as next year with President Obama’s announcement tonight that replacing the structure is one of 14 projects nationwide chosen for expedited federal review and approval.

The 14 projects were selected based on a presidential executive order in late August, which directed federal agencies to identify and help speed up high-priority infrastructure projects that potentially could create a large number of jobs.

Another requirement for selection was that the significant steps remaining before construction are within the federal government’s control and can be completed within 18 months.

The selection of the Tappan Zee Bridge project means the timeline for the work could be reduced by “multiple years,” according to the White House. That will be achieved through better coordination among federal agencies to move from a draft environmental impact statement to final approval.

Replacing the Tappan Zee Bridge, along with the option of adding bus rapid transit and passenger rail on 30 miles of Interstate 287 in both counties, would cost an estimated $16 billion. The state has not identified where the funds to pay for the project would come from.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement Monday that the speedier review process for the Tappan Zee, which connects Westchester and Rockland counties, could allow the work to start as early as next year. He announced Monday afternoon that the state had asked for an expedited federal review of the project.

“I want to thank President Obama, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and the U.S. Department of Transportation, including the Federal Highway Administration, for selecting the Tappan Zee Bridge project and recognizing that moving forward with the project is key to New York's economic future," Cuomo said in a statement after learning it was chosen.

“This is a shot in the arm for the project and a major step forward to restoring this key piece of our infrastructure and putting tens of thousands of New Yorkers back to work,” he said.

The bridge was built in the 1950s and is labeled by the state as “functionally obsolete.” It has seven narrow lanes and no shoulders, and the rate of accidents on the bridge is twice that of other parts of the New York Thruway, the governor’s statement said. About 45 million vehicles traveled the bridge in 2010.

The Tappan Zee has “serious vulnerabilities to extreme events such as severe storms, ship collision and earthquakes,” according to the Cuomo administration. There would be a “catastrophic economic impact” on the region if the number of travel lanes or load limits were reduced, or if the bridge was lost altogether, the statement said.

Cuomo said the Tappan Zee construction could create more jobs than any other infrastructure project in the country. The Federal Highway Administration estimates that every $1 billion in highway construction supports more than 30,000 employment opportunities. Transportation infrastructure accounts for 11 percent of economic activity in the country, the agency said.

The leaders of the Senate and Assembly said in advance of the White House announcement that they support Cuomo’s efforts to help kick-start the Tappan Zee Bridge work.

“I urge the federal government to expedite approval for this important project which will create tens of thousands of jobs,” Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Nassau County, said in a statement. “Major investments in infrastructure are exactly what New York needs to jumpstart our economy and restore safety to heavily traveled bridges and other arteries.”

Investments of the size required to build a new Tappan Zee Bridge can transform regional economies, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, said in a statement.

“With support from the federal government, New York State will be able to begin work on the Tappan Zee Bridge, ensuring this critical part of the Northeast’s infrastructure remains safe and reliable,” he said.

President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness recommended the federal government improve efficiency and expedite its review and approval processes to help accelerate job creation.

The projects that were chosen range from upgrading transportation and building wind-power facilities to restoring coastal habitats. Starting next month, the public will be able to track the progress of projects being reviewed through a central Web page.

Source: CARA MATTHEWS, Poughkeepsie Journal