The New York State Thruway Authority announced that Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) has completed installation of the first stay cables on the New NY Bridge project. The stay cables, along with the 419-foot towers, will be the most prominent features of the new 3.1-mile structure. The first two stay cables were installed by TZC on the new northbound bridge’s main span on Thursday, July 21, 2016.

“The installation of the stay cables marks a major milestone in the construction of this critical project,” said Project Director Jamey Barbas. “This bridge will serve as a vital link for generations to come, and the cables will be one of its iconic features.”

“The stay cables and the concrete towers are the perfect combination of form and function,” said Terry Towle, TZC’s chief executive officer. “In addition to providing structural integrity for the bridge’s main span, they will be a visually stunning feature that defines the project.”

The stay cables are anchored to the interior of the bridge’s concrete towers and to the sides of structural steel field sections. The resulting tension will help support the main span roadway. New structural steel sections and stay cables will be simultaneously installed on alternating sides of the towers as work continues. Precast concrete deck panels will also be placed in the erected steel sections to provide a base driving surface.

The stay cables are comprised of numerous metal strands that are tightly packed in a protective sheath. The sheaths contain only a handful of strands at first, and additional strands are strung through the cable after the initial installation process to provide further strength.

Each side of the bridge’s towers will require 12 pairs of stay cables to support the main span roadway, utilizing 700 miles of metal strands in total.

[Photo courtesy of New York State Thruway Authority]