TBT: Super Crane makes First Girder Placement

It recently left the construction site, its job completed; however this day was memorable for the project and for me to watch: the first steel girder assembly was hoisted and placed onto the New NY Bridge during a seven-hour process.

The 1,110-ton, 400-foot girder assembly – three beams assembled at the Port of Coeymans – was hoisted onto the new bridge’s 14-foot-thick foundation.

Dave Capobianco, a New NY Bridge project manager, said the communications conduits and wiring are not on this initial assembly and will be on the next two-girder segment still being worked on at the port.

During the summer, barges continue loading girders from the port, unloading them at the project site and either coming to or going from both locations.

I remember the 2012 and 2013 meetings that talked about shifting traffic from the current bridge to the new northern span in late 2016 or early 2017.

I’d like to know what you think.

Copyright © Janie Rosman and Kaleidoscope Eyes 2015

Two SN Residents pledge Open Communication, Transparency, & Solutions for SUP-related Issues

“We want to ensure that the concept chosen will be the best for our residents and will eliminate parking from our streets while allowing for economic development,” South Nyack Mayor Christian told the Rockland County Times four years ago.

Village residents think otherwise.

They say crews doing major movements during rush hour and creating noise at all hours of the day in the lower part of the village are not helpful at all, and it doesn’t seem like the mayor has a plan to resolve it. Workers are taking liberties with the village’s property, people are nervous, and they want something done.

The upper part of South Nyack has also been affected by the construction on 9W, and the project has impacted both sides of the Thruway. Residents complained of damage to their sidewalks, animals frightened by the construction noise, trucks and vehicles blocking their driveways so they’re unable to leave for work. Photo below is courtesy of the New York State Thruway Authority.

The mayor and trustees had time to resolve the parking situation, residents say, and they hope a change in leadership will bring relief from the onslaught of cars expected once the new path opens. Hours of operation have not been determined as talks about keeping it open 24/7 or from dawn to dusk continue.

Village residents Jeffrey A. Hirsch and Clifford T. Weathers are write-in candidates for mayor and trustee, respectively, in Tuesday’s election and pledge to “provide proactive, forward thinking, transparent and responsible leadership as we enter a new era in South Nyack with the completion of the new bridge and opening of its path.”

Their platform includes:

• Maintaining and policing the path terminus Esposito Trail, spur path and the ensuing increased traffic

• Addressing public parking solution as they’ve been waiting for the village to handle the impact of the SUP

• An open and transparent South Nyack government that’s responsive and proactive – not reactive

• Listening to the entire community and acting upon residents’ issues

• Addressing commuter bus issues

• Addressing noise and damage to village streets and private property that have become a locker room, cafeteria, bathroom and ashtray for construction workers:
o on Piermont/Broadway
o on 9W/Highland
o on Cornelison/Mansfield/Broadway/Smith and in between

• Clinton/Franklin/ Broadway issues with parking, speeding, buses, construction staging and regular illegal stopping, standing and parking by random people, delivery trucks, and other commercial vehicles

I’d like to know what you think.

Copyright © Janie Rosman and Kaleidoscope Eyes 2019

Driving Again: Reconfigured Exit, Same Traffic

New bridge hasn’t resolved corridor traffic, this 287 near Tarrytown/ © J Rosman 2019

Friday afternoon, freed two days earlier from the hand and arm half-cast I’d worn for the past four-and-one-half weeks, I drove to South Nyack, then to Nyack and took South Broadway back to the bridge. It’s different.

Why not ticket all trucks for driving in new bridge’s two left lanes?/ © J Rosman 2019

What hasn’t changed are trucks in the two left lanes and corridor traffic at certain times of day. The Thruway Authority needs to post signs at the entrance ramps and not only on the overhead gantries as truck drivers probably pay no notice. No trucks or trailers in the two left lanes. Ticket them if they drive there.

It takes longer to arrive at the same street using the new Exit 10/ © J Rosman 2019

Once drivers complete the Exit 10 loop-de-loop and make the turns, they arrive at the same place: Clinton Avenue. I couldn’t tell if the driver facing me has a STOP sign to her left so I stopped before bearing left; she waved me on.

Next time I’ll take S. Franklin Avenue instead of South Broadway/ © J Rosman 2019

The new Exit 10 to South Nyack and back to the Thruway takes longer, and while there is a new southbound Thruway entrance from 9W, it’s indirectly direct. My luck I had a red light at some intersections so I could check the signs posted.

Thruway sign leads drivers to same loop-de-loop as before changes/ © J Rosman 2019

The above photo shows the entrance to Thruway from 9W; however, it leads drivers to the same circle as before the exit was reconfigured and was what the village wanted. Wonder how many of the drivers below will be using Exit 10?

Drivers on 287 westbound have a long wait (ahead, Exit 3 to Sprain)/ © J Rosman 2019

I’d like to know what you think.

Copyright © Janie Rosman and Kaleidoscope Eyes 2019

Work Done, Super Crane departed Project Site

I Lift NY arriving at its destination/© Janie Rosman 2014

It arrived with great fanfare five years ago and left quietly last weekend. Its work on the project completed, the I Lift NY headed downriver accompanied by three tugboats. The photo below is from a video captured by Felice Ehrlich.

Some stats:

Its lifting Capacity is 1,929 tons, and its boom length is 328 feet. It raised 140 steel girder assemblies, four main span crossbeams, and 120 road deck panels.

First lift was April 2015
Placed first girder in June 2015
Removed first section of TZB in Nov. 2017
Final lift was May 2019

Click here for super crane history and trivia and here for more project details. Curious as to why it had three tugboat escorts.

I’d like to know what you think.

Copyright © Janie Rosman and Kaleidoscope Eyes 2019

Aerial View: Side Path Construction in S. Nyack

Drone photo/South Nyack by Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

This photo from July 1 shows the bridge side path that leads into South Nyack and runs parallel to the Esposito Trail.

Closer look/South Nyack by Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

It began as a little yellow line on a diagram. In other news, the humongous crane left the project site and was seen heading south accompanied by three tugboats. That’s for another blog post.

I’d like to know what you think.

Copyright © Janie Rosman and Kaleidoscope Eyes 2019