WPCNR BUMPER-TO-BUMPER. August 4, 2007 UPDATED WITH NEW VIEWS August 5, 2007, 8 PM EDT: A spokesman for the New York State Thruway Authority told WPCNR Saturday that the Thruway Authority has identified 20 sections of the Tappan Zee Bridge which are “truss” structures similar in design to the span of the I-35 Bridge in Minneapolis which collapsed Wednesday. Ramesh Mehta of the Authority said there are 198 spans incorporated into the Tappan Zee Bridge and twenty are truss spans located on either side of the bridge high point.

Truss Sections on Eastern approach to Tappan zee Bridge will be inpected.

Thirteen Truss Spans supporting the highest elevated roadway of the bridge approaching the Bridge superstructure  on the east side of the bridge will be inspected beginning August 13. Photos by Janet Bailey

7 Truss Sections on Western Approach to the Superstructure (to the right in this photograph) will be inspected

Up on top of the Truss Spans located on the western causeway leading to the superstructure of the bridge. (View is Eastbound)

Closeup of theTruss Structures on the Western side of the Tappan Zee bridge.

In the wake of Governor Eliot Spitzer’s orders to the Department of Transportation, the Thruway Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to inspect 49 bridges across the state employing such truss spans, Ramesh Mehta of the Authority said there are 7 truss spans on the Western causeway section of the Tappan Zee Bridge and 13 truss spans on the East Side  of the bridge leading to the superstructure. 

These truss sections will be inspected beginning August 13. The highest elevated section of the bridge with overhead girders, shown above, has no truss spans and will not be inspected.  The regular two year inspection of the bridge was completed eight months ago. (View is Westbound)

Thursday Mehta said Thursday there were no immediate plans to inspect the bridge as result of the Minneapolis accident because it had just completed an inspection,  unless structures similar to the Minneapolis bridge were found to be a part of the Westchester Rockland structure.