Demolition of the Tappan Zee Bridge has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. after “inclement weather” scuttled Saturday’s planned blast, the builders behind the new Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge announced. “The sustained winds caused delays to the preparatory work of the planned demolition operation,” Tappan Zee Constructors said in a statement. The east span of the 62-year-old bridge—linking Tarrytown and Nyack—was originally slated for demolition Saturday morning. Builders planned for a damaged section of the cantilever bridge to go down in explosive glory with a controlled blast. A carefully timed explosion was set to send the east bridge anchor toppling away from the new Mario M. Cuomo bridge and into steel nets below to keep debris from the Hudson River, according to the New York State Thruway Authority. Hunks of the bridge’s center section were already removed in May 2018. Officials had planned to push the demolition to Sunday in case of rough weather, but Tappan Zee Constructors did not initally announce a new date for the big boom on Thursday. The historic demolition generated buzz across the state with myriad livestreams set to document authorities’ triumphant toppling of the bridge. Several local restaurants were offering brunch deals with a view of the destruction, including the “Big Bang Brunch” at the Half Moon in Dobbs Ferry and “Dim-Sum-struction of the Tappan Zee Bridge” at Sambal Thai & Malay in Irvington. Originally, officials had hoped to avoid the use of explosives that could harm fish habitats in the Hudson. But experts determined that the structure was unsound and prevented workers from dismantling the bridge piece by piece. The new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge constructed directly adjacent to the Tappan Zee, which opened in August 2017, has replaced the more than half a century old connector.<doc-sep>Savvy New York commuters know two things about getting around in the Tappan Zee Bridge corridor: Leave plenty of time, and you never know what bridge you're going to find when you get there. On Tuesday, those watchwords will be even more relevant, as part of the old Tappan Zee is expected to be demolished and dropped into the river. If you're not across the bridge before 9:30 a.m. or so, you'll likely add at least an hour to your commute. And you will certainly have company trying to beat the 10 a.m. shutdown deadline. As for what bridge they'll find, if all goes as planned, drivers will no longer see one of the last remaining pieces of the 63-year-old Tappan Zee, the part of the superstructure closest to the Westchester shoreline. Get there early The New York State Thruway will be shut southbound at Exit 11 in Central Nyack and northbound at Exit 9 in Tarrytown. Thruway spokeswoman Jennifer Givner said entrance ramps at those interchanges will be shut, but the off-ramps will remain open. Jamie Breme, director of project communications for FLUOR, which is part of the Tappan Zee Constructors consortium, said Monday that if the Cuomo Bridge is cleared by 10 a.m., then the contractor Controlled Demolition will proceed with the controlled demolition on schedule. "I would anticipate that the actual demo would take place between 10:15 and 10:30," Breme said. After the detonation, the workers will inspect the new bridge to see if any damage was done to it during the detonation. Then an all-clear will be given, she said. Breme did not know this morning if there would be a siren or alarm to alert onlookers to the impending blast, or what the all-clear will sound like. Givner, the Thruway spokeswoman, said that when there is rock-blasting along the roadway a siren is used to warn and to give the all-clear. What if there's a crash on the bridge? Planning a morning commute can be a fool's errand, but the Thruway is considering all contingencies for Tuesday, such as: What if there's an accident on the bridge? Givner likened Tuesday's all-hands-on deck approach to preparations Thruway crews take when there is a storm approaching. The day will be approached with "heightened awareness." "When we know a snowstorm is coming, we pre-stage equipment," she said. "The wreckers will be there, so that if there's an accident on the bridge, they can clear it as quickly and safely as possible." A dead-stop on the bridge will undoubtedly mean an epic bottleneck, akin to a summer Friday commute with an accident thrown into the mix. The impact on local roads is something that is no doubt on the minds of police on both sides of the river, who have been conference-calling with the New York State Police for weeks to plan closures and traffic patterns. Givner said the contractor will be given the time needed and that in construction, everything is subject to change. Still, she said the bridge closure is expected to last 45 minutes. Tappan Zee Constructors issued this warning: "Significant delays are expected and motorists should avoid the area and take alternate routes on the day of the activity." The fact that the demolition was delayed from Saturday to Tuesday will likely put a damper on the number of people crowding the Piermont Pier (which will be shut to vehicular traffic), and any number of rivertown parks on both Hudson shores. More on the bridge BRIDGE: New Tappan Zee Bridge demolition date and time set BRIDGE DEMOLITION: Traffic timeline and closures ALTERNATIVES: Where to cross the Hudson while Cuomo Bridge/Thruway close for Tappan Zee Bridge demolition FAQ: Tappan Zee Bridge demolition with explosives SEE IT: Where to watch the Tappan Zee Bridge demolition EAT AND WATCH: Restaurants open early for Tuesday's Tappan Zee demo viewing WATCH ONLINE: Tappan Zee Bridge demolition to be streamed live on lohud PICTURE PERFECT: Tappan Zee Bridge demolition photo tips MAKING MEMORIES: Where to get mementos of the Tappan Zee Bridge GET THIS MEMENTO: 1,000-piece puzzle builds 'The Bridge' across the Hudson ​​​​​<doc-sep>
The Thruway and Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge have reopened after this morning's demolition of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Traffic is moving again across the Hudson River after the old span was blown into the water around 10:50 a.m. The Thruway, including the new bridge, was closed between Exit 9 in Tarrytown and Exit 11 in Nyack for about an hour. Traffic was shut down around 10 a.m. as crews prepared to detonate the Tappan Zee Bridge. As police closed the highway, a few drivers got off at the exits, but many stayed on the Thruway and waited for the bridge to reopen. DEMOLISHED: Tappan Zee Bridge comes down in a flash; video In Rockland, Westchester-bound traffic was backed up from Exit 11 past Exit 12 while the bridge was closed. In Westchester, Rockland-bound traffic was backed up from Exit 9 to the split between Interstate 87 and Interstate 287. Drivers were moving again in both directions on I-87 shortly after 11 a.m. In Rockland County, there was heavy traffic at times during this morning's commute as Westchester-bound drivers hustled to cross the Hudson River before the Cuomo Bridge closure. By 9:30 a.m. traffic had eased significantly. South Nyack-Grand View police and Irvington police said there are no major traffic issues this morning. South Nyack-Grand View Police Chief Daniel Wilson said his department worked with state police to monitor traffic ahead of the demolition. Clarkstown police and Tarrytown police had officers on the roads to handle any back-ups or issues. Piermont police dealt with large crowds and closed the village pier to vehicular traffic well before the demolition occurred. LIVE LOOK AT ROADS: Traffic cameras in Westchester, Rockland TIMELINE: Traffic, closures for Tappan Zee Bridge demolition TRAFFIC: Expect hourlong botteneck during demolition HUDSON RIVER: Where to cross while Cuomo Bridge is closed FAQ: Tappan Zee Bridge demolition with explosives WHERE TO WATCH: How to see the bridge explosion ESSENTIAL INFO: What to know for bridge demolition Twitter: @MattSpillane