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Is 9/11 Connected To The $419 Million Verrazano Rehab?
By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 12, 2011
Modified Apr 12, 2011
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 12, 2011
Modified Apr 12, 2011
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The MTA is gearing up for a massive, $419 million dollar, four-year project to replace the upper deck of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge starting in 2012. The construction, which may be "the biggest such project in MTA Bridges and Tunnels history," was always in the long term plan but has had to be moved up because of 9/11. Well, at least that is what some pols are arguing.
After the attacks on September 11, 2001, the lower roadway of the massive suspension bridge was closed to truck traffic, which some argue accelerated the need for the new decks ("What happens in traffic is repeated loading, and if you keep repeated loading, fatigue damage will increase," Sougata Roy, chief research scientist at Lehigh University's Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems explained to Popular Mechanics). The MTA, however does not subscribe to that idea. According to MTA spokeswoman Judie Glave, "There is no evidence that the decision to put trucks on the upper level since 9/11 caused more wear and tear on the bridge. It was designed to be able to handle such loads."
But why let facts in the way of a good story! Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro tells the Advance that if 9/11 brought the damage to the bridge, than 9/11 should pay for it. Or at least federal anti-terrorism funds should: "That's where it should come from," he said. "That should qualify."
Anyway, assuming that the Agency has the cash, the actual work should begin in 2012, though the stuff that will affect drivers won't begin until 2014 (Update: The MTA assures us that the money is already there: "B&T’s Capital Program is self-funded through tolls and TBTA bonds. We are not dependent on funds from the state or federal government so since this project has been planned for many years, it is fully-funded and is part of our 2010-2014 Capital Program budget."). And when all is said and done the original concrete deck, which dates to 1964, will be replaced and drivers will be left with a sturdier deck with wider lanes and a reversible bus/high-occupancy-vehicle lane. Still no bike or pedestrian lanes, but you can't win them all.
Want to know more about the rehab project? Popular Mechanics has a neat look at the project. And here's a video on how they are stress testing the new upper-level deck:
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