OREANDA-NEWS. April 15, 2014. ArcelorMittal plate mills in Burns Harbor, Coatesville and Conshohocken are supplying 160,000 tonnes of high performance steel that will be used in the unique, USD3.9bn “New NY Bridge” project.

The 3.1-mile twin span cable-stayed bridge is the single largest bridge construction project in New York’s history, and the largest transportation design-build project to date in the United States. The project involves upgrading the Tappan Zee Bridge spanning the Hudson River between Rockland and Westchester Counties in New York.

ArcelorMittal USA’s plate mills in Burns Harbor, Coatesville and Conshohocken are supplying their HPS70W high performance steel to two of the projects’ major steel fabricators, High Industries and Hirschfield Industries Bridge for bridge and girder fabrication. A significant amount of Burns Harbor material was also supplied to Berg for the bridge pilings earlier in 2013.
“We were awarded the business because of the proximity of our Eastern plate mills to the fabrication location, and due to the long-standing favorable business relationships with both fabrication companies,” said Jayne Atherton, division manager, order fulfillment and customer service, plate, ArcelorMittal USA. “We have unique combined capabilities at all three of our plate facilities to supply 100% of the plate product: lighter gauge plate from Conshohocken, wide and heavy plate from Coatesville and long quench and temper plate from Burns Harbor. This capability combination is unavailable anywhere else in the world and really sets us apart from our competitors.”

Plans for a new bridge to replace the Tappan Zee were first discussed in 1999 but, after concerns regarding concepts and various projected costs, the project stalled. Then in 2011, under the direction of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, together with the support of President Barack Obama and the federal government, the project began to move forward.

The first span of the new twin-span bridge is scheduled to open in 2016 and should be completed in 2018. The new bridge will be designed and constructed to last 100 years without major structural maintenance.

The bridge is being designed and built by Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC), and a consortium of some of the world's best-known design, engineering and construction firms, including Fluor, American Bridge, Granite and Traylor Bros, Inc.

“We are very pleased to have been selected to provide our high performance plate material for this major, historic infrastructure project,” said John Battisti, chief operating officer, ArcelorMittal USA Plate. “Our USA plate team has been keenly involved in weekly meetings with our customers on the planning, development and delivery of these plate products, to ensure they are pleased with our performance during all phases of the project.”