Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Environmental Impact Statement

The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, which opened to traffic in 2017, is a $4 billion twin-span replacement for the three-mile Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson River. Moving 140,000 vehicles each day, the bridge is a vital conduit for travelers and commuters in the Lower Hudson Valley. After ten years of project development by others, AKRF was selected to lead the environmental review process at a critical point when the project was fast-tracked by President Barack Obama as one of 14 high-priority infrastructure projects across the country.

Following a robust public review, and under an accelerated timeframe that set the standard for NEPA environmental streamlining, AKRF prepared the Final Environmental Impact Statement in three months with the overall schedule resulting in a Record of Decision fewer than 11 months following the Notice of Intent. Our analyses covered the full range of issues associated with a major bridge replacement project, including noise, air quality, ecology, water quality, and construction impacts.

State and federal permits were procured that allowed bridge construction to begin, and we proceeded to design and implement studies to offset or mitigate impacts that became permit conditions to allow the bridge project to proceed. AKRF continues to provide NEPA/SEQRA analysis and documentation on numerous projects for the new bridge.

(Top image courtesy of NYS Thruway Authority)