County DPW to utilize refurbished Tappan Zee Bridge panels for construction

GOSHEN — Orange County will be the first county in New York State to receive panels that were salvaged from the Tappan Zee Bridge when it was dismantled last summer for repurposing.
The State Thruway Authority is scheduled to deliver 14 of the 150 panels to Orange County’s Transfer Station, located on Route 17M in New Hampton, starting on Monday, May 14.
Each panel is worth approximately $55,000. The rest of the panels will be distributed throughout the state.
Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus said using these panels will save about $770,000. “We will continue to look for opportunities to enhance our infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner," he added.
Orange County DPW Commissioner Erik Denega said the panels will be used to build four highway bridges and two rail to trail bridges. The concrete and steel panels are approximately 13 feet by 50 feet, 8.5 inches thick and weigh 50 tons each.
The Corwin Bridge in the Town of Mount Hope will be the first bridge built with the Tappan Zee panels. Construction is set to begin in late summer and will last approximately three months.
The bridge carries County Route 11, known as Mount Hope Road, over the Shawangunk Kill in the Town of Mount Hope. The panels are expected to considerably shorten the construction timetable and reduce the cost by more than $160,000.
Orange County DPW is assessing other bridges for suitability to utilize the rest of the panels and will incorporate them into the design and rehabilitation projects for three more highway bridges in the near future.