NEW YORK—Federal approval was announced Tuesday for the new Tappan Zee Bridge, but financing plans remain murky and one environmental watchdog group may take legal action.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement released early August included impact measures such as limiting dredging operations during peak fish-spawning and migrating seasons, but this hasn’t eased all concerns.
Phillip Musegaas, Hudson River program director for Riverkeeper, an environmental watchdog group, said the plan fails to address key concerns, including the impact on endangered species, such as the Atlantic sturgeon. There are less than 1,000 left in the river, a very low number, and construction would continue for five or six years.
“If the state does not make any meaningful changes to reduce the environmental impact on the river and on endangered species, then we will go to court,” Musegaas said.
Riverkeeper has also expressed concerns about the “fast track agenda” for the project, and what it considers inadequate public participation during the approval process.
Financing
Estimated costs for the replacement bridge run in the range of $5 billion to $5.6 billion. The state government has asked the federal government for a loan of up to $2.9 billion, according Bloomberg news agency.
Some of the other money could come from toll increases, raising the current $3–$5 toll up to $14, a plan state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has criticized.
Howard Glaser, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s director of state operations, said during a conference call that the final bridge cost will depend on the bidders and final procurement, according to Capital New York.
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