Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Declared Safe
On Tuesday, March 9, the State Inspector General’s Office announced that they had begun an investigation into the safety of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, spurred by reports of broken bolts and alleged attempts to conceal the damage. Now, two weeks later, Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll and Project Director Jamey Barbas, are relieved to report that they have found no safety issues with the vital crossing.
“Regarding the structural integrity of the bolts used on the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, we want to reiterate that the bridge is completely safe for the traveling public”, read an official statement released by Driscoll’s office. “The Federal Highway Administration, upon review of technical investigations, last week stated they have no safety concerns with the bridge. As we have previously detailed, the Thruway Authority spent more than one million dollars, brought in world-renowned experts, and studied and tested hundreds of bolts when the issue first arose in 2016. The tests confirmed that the bolts met all required material standards.”
The Federal Highway Administration made similar assurances, stating that it has conducted “regular and thorough inspections of the bridge”, as required by the National Bridge Inspection Standards, and have not discovered any safety issues.
