Think the Polar Vortex is slowing you down? How about the new Tappan Zee Bridge. On Wednesday, Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC), the firm contracted to build the new bridge, suspended on-river construction operations indefinitely due to frigid temperatures and ice.
Carla M. Julian, a spokesperson for TZC, said in a statement that safety is their first priority and “the team will continue to keep a safety crew in place to monitor and secure equipment until it is safe to continue full operations in the river.” The statement went on to say that “TZC will continue to monitor the icy conditions and resume operations when temperatures rise and ice clears.”
Don’t write this off as another doomed-to-be-delayed project, at least not yet. To mitigate construction setbacks from winter weather, two months off (January and February) are built into the construction schedule every year as a just-in-case measure. The hope is that the weather will be forgiving enough for work to continue during winter, but the polar vortex, of course, might have other plans.
