Safety Crackdown Planned for Area Around Tappan Zee Bridge

Authorities are increasing safety patrols around the Hudson River construction zone at New York’s Tappan Zee Bridge.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day and Sheriff Louis Falco III say local law enforcers will be coordinating their efforts with the Coast Guard.

They’ll include a crackdown on impaired boaters.

Last July, two boaters were killed and four injured when their powerboat crashed into a barge. The area around the Tappan Zee is now far more congested with construction vessels than at the time of the crash.

There’s also been a history of barges breaking loose at the construction site.

The state Thruway Authority has issued precise guidelines for recreational boating in the area.

The bridge links Rockland and Westchester counties.