[vsw id=”sOyAEmc6u9A” source=”youtube” width=”650″ height=”440″ autoplay=”no”]Orange County will receive 14 panels next week that were salvaged from the Tappan Zee Bridge when it was dismantled last summer.
The panels, which are the first of 150 total the county will receive, will be delivered by the New York State Thruway Authority to Orange County”™s Transfer Station on Monday.
“Utilizing these panels from the Tappan Zee Bridge will save our taxpayers approximately $770,000,” Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus said. “This is an exciting opportunity for the county and I”™m grateful that our Department of Public Works has taken the initiative to recycle these panels. We will continue to look for opportunities to enhance our infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner.”
According to the county executive, each panel is worth about $55,000. The concrete and steel panels, which are roughly 13 feet by 50 feet and weigh 50 tons each, will be used to build four highway bridges and two rail-to-trail bridges.
The Corwin Bridge in the Town of Mount Hope will be the first bridge constructed with the Tappan Zee panels. The panels are expected to “significantly shorten” the construction timetable and reduce the cost by over $160,000.
The county”™s Department of Public Works is assessing other bridges where the panels could be used. The County Executive”™s Office said in a statement that Orange will be the first county in New York State to receive panels. The rest of the panels will be distributed throughout the state.
