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Cost Of New Tappan Zee Bridge May Be $1 Billion Over Budget, Report Says

The new Tappan Zee Bridge may come in at a final cost of more than $4 billion dollars, nearly $1 billion above the base contract, according to a recently released Politico report.

Pre-ceremony on the new Tappan Zee.

Pre-ceremony on the new Tappan Zee.

Photo Credit: Jeanne Muchnick

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Do you think the new Tappan Zee Bridge should be named in honor of the late NY Gov. Mario Cuomo?
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Do you think the new Tappan Zee Bridge should be named in honor of the late NY Gov. Mario Cuomo?

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  • Absolutely not
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  • The new bridge shouldn't be named after any person
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Contractors may be seeking upwards of $900 million in claims against the Thruway Authority, according to the report, on top of the $3.142 billion base contract, which exceeds the $548 million that had originally been budgeted for contingencies, though that number is reportedly expected to shrink.

If the additional $900 million is needed, it would push the total bill for the new Tappan Zee Bridge over $4 billion, a talking point New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has touted since introducing the proposal. There is reportedly no final financing plan in place for the additional funds.

According to the report, the claims by Tappan Zee Constructors - who have been in charge of the project since the beginning - could end up in court. The company has reportedly sent a letter to officials warning of the overruns, but a dollar figure was not specified. A TZC spokesperson deferred all inquiries to state officials.

“Thruway Authority officials insist the project finances are under control and within the budgeted cost,” the report states. “In bond documents released the first week of March, the authority noted it has budgeted $548 million for contingency and allowances on the project.”

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