Mario Cuomo Bridge contractors sued for millions by New York State Thruway Authority
NEW YORK – The New York State Thruway Authority has filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the contractors used for the construction of the Mario Cuomo Bridge, saying dozens of cables didn't meet durability specifications.
The bridge connecting Westchester and Rockland counties was supposed to last 100 years, but now, just six years after it was unveiled, 61 of the 192 cables need to be retrofit, according to the Thruway Authority, which operates the bridge.
"This was built to be a generational bridge to last for generations and what was delivered to us was not," said Frank Hoare, executive director of the Thruway Authority.
Hoare said the issue is the suspension cable connectors, called anchor pipes, on the span. He said they were not built to the strength and durability required in the contract. The agency is suing the contractors to make them pay the costs of retrofitting the cables.
"The company has refused to take further action, so we are proceeding to hire a contractor and consultants to get the work done," Hoare said.
Thruway officials said they have had the cables checked and rechecked by their engineers, and the 140,000 commuters who use the bridge every day are completely safe.
"We're suing them to get what we paid for. The bridge is safe, it's strong, there's no implications to that or concerns for that," Hoare said.
They said this is a durability issue; they want the bridge to last at least 100 years, and to do so, the bridge needs cables of a certain strength.
"We don't want our toll-payers having to foot the bill for this," Hoare said.
Cuomo spokesman reacts to lawsuit
During the seven years it took to build the span and take down the old Tappan Zee Bridge, then-Governor Andrew Cuomo personally led many boat tours to brag about his prowess in building one of the largest projects of its kind in the nation.
Thursday, Cuomo's spokesman accepted no responsibility, saying, "This has been a longstanding dispute on the technical specifications of some of the materials and if the contractor doesn't comply then the lawsuit is merited."
Congressman Mike Lawler, who was an assemblyman when the bridge was built, says they need to do more to check to guarantee that the bridge is safe.
"This is a bridge that cost billions of dollars to build. It was only completed seven years ago, and it's supposed to last over 100 years," he said.
Lawler said the Thruway Authority hasn't come clean regarding the potential issues with structural integrity on the bridge.
"I think not only the Thruway Authority, but Governor Hochul needs to provide immediate answers on the structural stability of the bridge long-term and cost to make these repairs that are seemingly necessary based on the lawsuit that was filed," he said.
CBS News New York reached out to the governor's office for comment, and they referred us back to the Thruway Authority.
The contractors did not respond to CBS News New York's request for comment.