In September, The New York Times reported that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration allegedly offered incentives to Tappan Zee Constructors to open the eastern side of the bridge to traffic, even though there was an acknowledgment of potential safety concerns on the part of New York Thruway Authority official Jamey Barbas.
A July letter from Barbas to Tappan Zee Constructors directed the builder to open the bridge by Aug. 24. In the letter, which was obtained by The Times, Barbas wrote that the agency would “not hold Tappan Zee Constructors responsible for any traffic incident(s) or damage to the work that results from shifting traffic on the bridge while all elements are not fully complete as permitted by this letter.” Some engineers were reportedly concerned that an unstable piece of the old bridge would fall onto the new span.
