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Metal plates on TZ Bridge part of deck-revamp project

Drivers who use the Tappan Zee Bridge may experience a bit of unwelcome deja vu when they cross the 3-mile bridge tomorrow.

Metal plates have been installed in the right Westchester-bound lanes on the deck truss span as part of the ongoing deck replacement project. The plates will be thicker than those used during the summer, which caused untold aggravation and long delays as drivers slowed and changed lanes to avoid driving over the plates and their big, protruding bolts.

But fear not, says the state Thruway Authority, which owns and runs the 52-year-old bridge.

The authority said it has taken several steps to reduce driver discomfort and to speed up the work.

• The 1-inch and half-inch plates on the west deck truss spans will be spaced 250-feet apart; previously they were less than 37-1/2 feet apart).

• Ramping plates will be used to bring vehicles gradually up to the level of the new plates.

• Bolts with rounded heads will generally be out of the wheel path of most cars and trucks.

• The plates will rest on a three-eighth-inch neoprene pad to help reduce vibration.

In June, the nine raised metal plates dramatically slowed trips across the Tappan Zee Bridge, causing traffic backups on the state Thruway, all the way to Exit 14B, Airmont Road, in Ramapo.

The deck replacement work, which is done overnight, is expected to last several weeks. The authority said the plates are vital to allow work to proceed at night while allowing vehicles to drive safely over them during the day.

The $147 million project to replace 40 percent of the Tappan Zee Bridge’s deck began last year and may wrap up by November.

The two outer lanes in each direction from the Rockland shore to the east deck truss span are being replaced by new road decks.