History group offers boat tours of Tappan Zee work

Nothing compares to seeing construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge from the water.

If you don't have access to a boat, seeing the massive steel piles lined up in neat rows, or the concrete pier caps that are fast rising, can be a challenge.

But for less than $100, the Historical Society of Rockland County is offering the public two opportunities to get up close and personal with the project.

For the second year, the group will provide a guided boat tour featuring local historians and project officials who will discuss the ongoing work.

Last year's inaugural event, "The Tappan Zee Experience: Past, Present and Future," aboard the River Rose paddle-boat was a huge success, historical society board immediate past president Larry Singer said. The group ended up holding a second boat tour less than a month later because demand was so great.

"We sold out both tours and we sold out each of them in two weeks," he said. "It was amazing, well beyond our expectations."

Singer admitted it wasn't only history buffs on board.

"Some people just like a boat ride down the Hudson. Some people like the looks of that Mississippi-style paddle wheeler, which is a gorgeous boat," he said. "And I think a lot of people wanted to see the Tappan Zee from underneath, and actually see them working without having to crane their necks while driving over the bridge."

While there are strict limits on how close the boat can get — the Rockland sheriff's marine patrol will escort them — it will give many people a vantage point they would not otherwise get of the $3.9 billion bridge replacement, the largest such project taking place in North America.

Representatives from Tappan Zee Constructors will be on hand in June to explain what's happening on the river and answer questions, Singer said. Officials from the state Thruway Authority, which owns the nearly 60-year-old Tappan Zee, will take the lead on the July outing.

Former Journal News editor and columnist Bob Baird will provide historical anecdotes on the June trip with a yet-to-be-determined historian doing much of the same the following month. Baird, who has written extensively about the project, said the new twin crossing has the potential to change Rockland's landscape as its predecessor did 60 years ago, "especially if we get that long sought-after mass transit component."

"The new bridge will be transformative if only because it will make commuting easier for folks, offer transit alternatives and may even become a recreation destination," he said, his latter reference to a 3-mile shared bike and walking path that will connect South Nyack with Tarrytown.

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If you go

•Who: Historical Society of Rockland County

•What: Guided boat tour of the Tappan Zee Bridge construction site

•When: June 10 and July 9

•Where: The boat will leave Haverstraw Marina at 9:45 a.m. and return around 3 p.m.

•What else: Representatives from Tappan Zee Constructors or the state Thruway Authority will be on board to answer questions. Local historians will speak on the way to and from the project site.

•How much: $88 for society members; $93 for others (includes box lunch)

•Tickets/info: At www.rocklandhistory.org or call 845-634-9629.