Last week, Larry Penner complained about the cost of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, which replaced the Tappan Zee Bridge. That crossing was flawed from its inception and was slated for replacement because it was believed to be vulnerable to collapse.
Mr. Penner seems to have gotten his shorts in a knot because of the naming. Perhaps his motivation is political and that is OK, but to insinuate that the new bridge was a waste of money is an indication that he is ignorant of the history of that bridge.
Over the years I travelled on the Tappan Zee Bridge many times and each time I was aware of the engineering reports that stated its vulnerability. When Gov. Andrew Cuomo built that new bridge on his watch, I was very happy. Moreover, I was impressed with the speed of the replacement as well as the very minimal disruption to the traffic on the route.
Should he have changed the name of the replacement structure? That is debatable, but the money spent is nowhere near the cost that would have been incurred if there was a collapse.
Ernie Fazio is the chairman of LIMBA.
