Tappan Zee Bridge and I-287 Corridor
The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the construction of a new highway bridge across the Hudson River at the Tappan Zee was released by New York State on January 23, 2012. A public hearing was held in Westchester County on March 1, 2012. The public comment period ended March 30, 2012. Westchester County submitted comments on the draft EIS in a letter dated March 30, 2012. Read the County’s comments.
On October 12, 2011, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transportation Administration effectively ended a study underway since December 2002, known as the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor Project. That project not only included replacement of the 56-year-old, three-mile-long bridge but also the implementation of public transit service across the full length of the I-287 corridor across Westchester and Rockland. The new bridge that was being considered under the now-ended project would have eight lanes for general traffic and separate lanes for bus rapid transit, lanes for pedestrians and bicyclists and the capacity to add commuter rail.
With publication of a Notice of Intent to rescind the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor Project in October, the federal agencies concluding the environmental review process for the combined study of bridge, highway and transit along the 30-mile I-287 corridor between Port Chester in Westchester County and Hillburn in Rockland County. On that same date in October, FHWA published a new Notice of Intent for the Tappan Zee Hudson River Crossing Project to examine alternatives for an improved Hudson River crossing between Rockland and Westchester Counties. The draft EIS is a product of this newly defined and limited study.
However, of long-range importance to Westchester County residents and businesses was the decision made in September 2008 by the then-state project team that a Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) would be constructed along the I-287 corridor. The new BRT system was expected to be operational about the time that a new bridge would open, creating the first east-west rapid transit system in the county. Not only would the transit system help relieve congestion, it would provide linkages between the county’s three existing north-south rail systems and provide opportunities for new transit-oriented development (TOD).
The initiative for the reduction in project scope is described in the October 2011 Scoping Information Packet in this way: “while advancing financial analysis, it was determined that funding for the corridor project (bridge replacement, highway improvements, and new transit service) was not possible at this time. The financing of the crossing alone, however, was considered affordable. Therefore, it was determined that the scope of the project should be limited, and efforts to replace the Hudson River crossing independent of the transit and highway elements should be advanced.”
Concurrent with the change in project scope, the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge was selected on the federal level as one of 14 projects across the United States that are to be fast-tracked through the federal approval process so as to deliver economic benefits as soon as possible.
Commenting on these actions, Westchester County Executive Robert P Astorino said, “I have long advocated for the state to make the Tappan Zee Bridge’s replacement a top priority and was encouraged when federal and state officials announced earlier this month they were going to move the project forward. This project requires a major investment, and if we are going to commit to rebuilding the bridge, our efforts must produce practical solutions, not only to the problems of today, but to the challenges we will face in the future. The reality is, a new bridge—without a mass transit component—would already be at capacity on the day of its opening.” Read the full statement
The Westchester County Planning Board and County Department of Planning have worked with the eight municipalities along I-287 that would have been affected by the previously proposed transit system, offering services to make sure the outcome of the state’s planning process would support the vision of the towns, villages and cities along the corridor. Specifically, much work has been done with local communities to explore how the BRT system can support local land use strategies, such as TOD. This work will continue as the need for east-west transit has been demonstrated.
To learn more about the key planning issues associated with the Tappan Zee Bridge and I-287 corridor use the navigation menu to the upper left. The information will be updated as more data becomes available.
Contact Information
If you have questions or comments, e-mail the Tappan Zee Hudson River Crossing Project at
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If you have questions for the Westchester County Department of Planning, contact Ed Buroughs at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Visit the Official new Tappan Zee Hudson River Crossing Project Web site.
Reports prepared by the now-ended Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor Project remain available at the old Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor Web site.
A comprehensive overview of the progress of the now-ended project can be found in this presentation made by NYSDOT to the Westchester Rockland Tappan Zee Futures Task Force on October 14, 2010. View the presentation
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