Drivers Eagerly Await New Bridge As Tappan Zee Decays

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork)-- On the Hudson River between Tarrytown and South Nyack, two crossings stand side-by-side. One is 60 years old, the other is being born, and drivers can't wait to make the switch.

"You can see it's time to have the new one completed as quick as we can," Mike Beckinsall, a Tappan Zee driver, told CBS2's Lou Young.

Regular bridge users say the old Tappan Zee bridge has begun to show alarming signs of rust in the final stretch of construction.

"The old bridge looks terrible. They're just letting it go," driver Jason Melikian said.

From a driver's point of view, you can see where they're coming from. The state stopped painting the old span last year because it expected to be closed to traffic some time in 2017.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day, whose county is on the west end of the crossing, has also noticed the rust spread and said he's been assured what we're seeing is purely cosmetic.

"If I didn't comb my hair or brush my teeth for a while I wouldn't look good either but I'd still be able to do my job... It'll be fine," Day said.

The Thruway Authority said the old bridge is in better shape now than it was four years ago. The state spent $145 million to refinish the deck where cars drive. It was so bad holes were opening up where you could look down and see the water. That's no longer the case, but looking up and seeing rust is not a confidence booster either.

"It's a little shaky it seems, but so far standing up. We'll keep our fingers crossed and get the new one built as soon as possible," driver Jonathan Walsh told CBS2.

The massive blue beams of the new bridge are beginning to support pieces of the highway as traffic moves by on the old bridge. The current schedule has the first span opening up next year, when the old bridge starts to come down. Both new spans are due for completion in 2018.

Because the new $4 billion bridge has more reinforced concrete than exposed metal, painting and rust are not expected to be as big of a maintenance issue as before.