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Crane Collapses on Tappan Zee Bridge ‘Nothing Short of a Miracle’: No Serious Injuries in Tappan Zee Crane Collapse
(about 4 hours later)
A crane collapsed on the Tappan Zee Bridge in the midst of work on the bridge’s replacement on Tuesday afternoon, injuring five people and shutting down traffic for hours in both directions, according to New York State and local authorities. In the ambitious business of New York bridge building, it has been a tragic consequence of the work: More than 20 people, including the bridge’s lead engineer, lost their lives during the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. As workers raised the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in the 1960s, three people paid the ultimate price. And during construction of the original Tappan Zee Bridge in the 1950s, a worker fell to his death.
The crane, one of 28 being used in the construction of the $3.9 billion replacement for the aging bridge — what is being called the largest infrastructure project in the country — fell around noon on the Rockland County side of the bridge, the authorities said. But when a large crane being used to construct what will eventually be the aging Tappan Zee’s replacement came toppling down on Tuesday, landing squarely across the roadway, something astounding happened: Nobody died.
None of the injuries were life-threatening, said Ed Day, the Rockland County executive. Three motorists were hurt in vehicles that swerved during the crane’s fall, Mr. Day said, and two workers on the construction project were also injured. “This was nothing short of a miracle,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said at an afternoon news conference in Tarrytown at the base of the bridge, citing the lack of serious injuries from the accident.
No vehicles were struck by the crane, the authorities said. At least four people received minor injuries in the collapse, including three motorists who were trying to avoid the crane, officials said. A construction worker was also injured, officials said.
Aerial images showed the broken crane draped across all lanes of the bridge, which 138,000 vehicles cross every day traveling between Rockland and Westchester Counties. The crane, one of 28 being used in the construction of the bridge’s $3.9 billion replacement — what is being called the largest infrastructure project in the country — fell around noon on the Rockland County side of the bridge, the authorities said. No vehicles were struck by the crane, the authorities said.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who gave two news conferences in Tarrytown, near the bridge’s base, said that it was miraculous that no one was seriously injured in the collapse. Irving Martinez, a truck driver from New Haven, was heading home after delivering a load of cars in Blauvelt, N.Y., when, from about a quarter of a mile away, he saw the crane list and topple.
After a structural investigation, the bridge opened its northbound lanes, running west from Westchester to Rockland, around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. One southbound lane was to open at 7 p.m., and another scheduled to open an hour later. One lane would remain closed for repair. “The crane was rotating normally and then it just suddenly fell sideways onto the highway,” Mr. Martinez, 25, said. “It was out of nowhere.”
Officials described the work that the crane was engaged in — a vibratory hammer that was putting in pilings — as routine. While most drivers hit the brakes, he said, others accelerated to avoid the crash. “You know New Yorkers,” he quipped. “Always in a hurry.”
Aerial images showed the crane draped across all lanes of the bridge, its frame splintered into pieces as traffic was brought to a standstill. With the bridge blocked, many motorists were stranded for several hours. Some took to social media to document the travail.
The collapse raised concerns about the integrity of the Tappan Zee Bridge, the state’s longest, which is used by 138,000 vehicles traveling between Rockland and Westchester Counties on weekdays. Built on the cheap, it was designed to last for only 50 years.
And it also snarled traffic along the New York State Thruway, which traverses the bridge, and feeder roads. Traffic was blocked on Interstate 287 heading west toward Rockland at least as far as the Sprain Brook Parkway exit, as well as on the Thruway heading east toward Westchester. The Tappan Zee Express Bus Service, which transports commuters between Westchester and Rockland, was suspended, as officials rearranged transit schedules and other road availabilities.
But after officials inspected the bridge, they gradually reopened all of its lanes except for one southbound lane.
Mr. Cuomo described the damage to that lane as significant but not extensive, saying it could take days to repair.
Officials said the crane, which was new, was engaged in a routine task — wielding a vibratory hammer to install pilings.
“This was not one of the high-risk operations of bridge building,” Mr. Cuomo said.“This was not one of the high-risk operations of bridge building,” Mr. Cuomo said.
Since work began on a new Tappan Zee Bridge in 2013, there have been no deaths or serious injuries involving the workers. Mr. Cuomo said the project’s track record had been extraordinary for an undertaking of its size. Jeff J. Loughlin, the business manager of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 137, which represents the crane’s operator, said the crane was an MLC 300 manufactured by Manitowoc Cranes. An official said the crane’s boom was 256 feet long.
“Somebody will drop a hammer,” he said. “Things happen.” Mr. Loughlin said the operator remained at the scene with a union representative, and was expected to undergo drug and alcohol testing.
Officials said they had yet to pinpoint the cause of the crane’s crash. But they ruled out high winds.
Jeff J. Loughlin, the business manager of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 137, which represents the crane’s operator, said that the operator remained at the scene with a union representative, and was expected to undergo drug and alcohol testing.
“It’s a miracle that the boom fell across six lanes of traffic, cars that are doing 60 to 70 miles an hour, and not one car was hit by the boom,” Mr. Loughlin said.“It’s a miracle that the boom fell across six lanes of traffic, cars that are doing 60 to 70 miles an hour, and not one car was hit by the boom,” Mr. Loughlin said.
The crane’s crash raised concerns about the integrity of the Tappan Zee Bridge, which was built to last only 50 years after being constructed cheaply in 1955. Rockland County officials said the crash damaged the bridge, creating a hole in its deck. Officials said they were investigating the cause of the crane’s crash. But they ruled out the wind.
With the bridge blocked, many motorists were stranded for hours, some of them taking to social media to share pictures of the collapse. There have been no deaths or serious injuries involving bridge workers since construction began on the new Tappan Zee Bridge in 2013. Mr. Cuomo said that the project’s track record had been extraordinary for an undertaking of its size but noted that “things happen.”
One motorist, Atabey Sanchez, who was heading home to Providence, R.I., was stuck on the bridge for two hours. She said she was about 40 cars from where the crane collapsed. “Somebody will drop a hammer,” he said.
“I just saw heavy traffic, then we stopped,” she said. “Then all these emergency vehicles rushed by. We all started out nervous — what’s happening?" While Mr. Cuomo said that four people were injured in Tuesday’s accident, Ed Day, the Rockland County executive, said that five people suffered minor injuries.
The crane’s collapse draws new focus to the construction of the replacement for the Tappan Zee. The new bridge, which is being built to just north of the old bridge and is scheduled to be completed in 2018, has been mentioned by Mr. Cuomo as well as President Obama as an exemplary investment in infrastructure. The crane’s collapse drew new focus to the construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge. The bridge, which is being built just north of the old bridge and is scheduled to be completed in 2018, has been mentioned by Mr. Cuomo as well as President Obama as an exemplary infrastructure project. On Monday during an event in Brooklyn, Mr. Cuomo praised the process used to contract the bridge’s construction out to private companies.
The collapse came after the governor chided the government for not moving fast enough on infrastructure needs and praised the process by which the construction on the new Tappan Zee had been contracted out to private companies, during an event on Monday in Brooklyn. But Mr. Cuomo said on Tuesday afternoon that the accident did not jeopardize the new bridge’s construction or its time frame for completion.
Many drivers could instead take the George Washington Bridge to the south, producing snarled traffic there, or Bear Mountain Bridge to the north. He said it was a lucky break that the crane fell in the middle of the day when traffic was lighter.
“The traffic backup is probably the biggest problem we’re dealing with,” Mr. Cuomo said. “And you know what? Thank God that’s the biggest problem.” Victor Fargas, 57, a glass worker from the Bronx who had to delay some of his jobs after getting stuck in the traffic, decided to pass the time by taking a nap in his truck. “Now I’m doing all I can do,” he said, “patiently waiting and praying to the traffic gods.”