BREAKING: Feds Gives Final OK to Tappan Zee Replacement
By Kate Hinds | 09/25/2012 – 11:27 am
"The federal government has given its final approval to New York State’s plans to replace the Tappan Zee Bridge. It’s the final regulatory hurdle the $5 billion project had to cross before the state could award a contract and begin construction...
... The state is currently reviewing bids from three contractors. Once a team is picked, which is expected to be later this year, it will be constructing the bridge under New York’s new design-build legislation. Last week, the governor named a design team to help review the bids and provide aesthetic guidance.
But one big question has yet to be answered: how the state will pay for the new bridge. New York is in the process of requesting a low-interest loan from the federal government, and Cuomo has said that the basic source of financing will come from tolls. But the state has yet to release a comprehensive finance plan..."