TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE

Barge gets stuck under Tappan Zee Bridge; no damage

Khurram Saeed
ksaeed@lohud.com

A Thruway Authority maintenance barge got stuck under the Tappan Zee Bridge during overnight storms, but did not damage the 60-year-old crossing or the nearby bridge under construction, officials said.

A maintenance barge belonging to the state Thruway Authority ended up under the Tappan Zee Bridge sometime overnight but apparently caused no damage. This photo from a construction camera shows the project site late Tuesday morning.

The bridge was inspected Tuesday as a precaution after a corner of the barge was discovered resting on a pile cap at low tide.

Unlike past incidents at the bridge, the barge never broke free from its mooring. No injuries were reported.

"The investigation found no damage to the existing bridge or any other equipment and there was no danger to workers or the public," said Brian Conybeare, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's adviser on the $3.9 billion Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project.

The barge is kept near the Thruway's maintenance dock in South Nyack and has since been repositioned.

There have been at least three cases of barges belonging to bridge builder Tappan Zee Constructors breaking free from the construction site since September 2013. Under orders from the state, TZC has taken steps to prevent that from happening again.

GPS devices have been installed on the more than 100 construction vessels, barges and crews boats working on the 3-mile-wide Hudson River so officials and the public can track them on the project's website, www.newnybridge.com.

The barge involved did not belong to TZC but was used by the state for maintenance work. There was no equipment on it and nothing entered the river.

TZC crews noticed the barge at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and notified the Thruway Authority.

The bridge builder then checked its barges and reported they were properly secured. The Thruway Authority did the same for its vessels.

Officials suspect the barge shifted due to unusually high tides during a thunderstorm that hit the region late Monday night into early Tuesday.

"The barge was moved slightly by waves and higher than expected tides during last night's heavy rain storms but it remained secured at all times," Conybeare said.

Twitter: @ksaeed1