Tappan Zee Bridge (1955–2017)
The Tappan Zee Bridge is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at its widest point, the Tappan Zee. In 1994, the bridge was renamed to The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge after Malcolm Wilson, former Governor of New York. It connects Nyack in Rockland County with Tarrytown in Westchester County. Construction started in March 1952 and it was opened for traffic on December 15, 1955. The total length of the bridge and approaches is 16,013 feet (just over 3 miles, 4.881 km). The cantilever span is 2416 feet (736 meters) providing a 138 foot (42 meter) clearance over the water.
The bridge is part of the New York Thruway highway system, designated as Interstate 87 and Interstate 287. The span carries seven lanes of automotive traffic, with the center lane being switchable between eastbound and westbound traffic depending on the prevalent commuter direction. This is accomplished via a movable center barrier.
As of late, the concern of over-usage by increased traffic over the bridge has led to plans to repair the aging bridge or replace it with an underground tunnel. These plans and discussions have since been dormant after the projected cost to complete this project increased from $4 billion to $20 billion.
Eastbound traffic is subject to a toll of $4.