Today's MOZEN: A Tale of Two Bridges

F LoBuono

This is a Tale of Two Bridges. Both have played significant roles in my life. Now, one is gone (or, shortly will be) - being replaced by a more modern, efficient structure. I have always found it interesting that as they spanned a mighty river, so have they connected the elements of my life.

When I was a kid growing up in Fort Lee, N.J. the mighty George Washington Bridge was the dominant structure in the town and our lives.  In fact, it played such an integral role that the town's high school teams were known as The Bridgemen. Since it is the busiest bridge in the world, plans had to made to account for the crippling traffic that would back up from the bridge and into the town. Holidays were particularly ferocious with long lines of cars snaking through almost every neighborhood.

But, it wasn't all drudgery. My friends and I would frequently fish under the superstructure, catching mostly eels and the occasional stripper bass. When we were old enough or, more accurately, ALMOST old enough, we would walk across the span to go to a bar called The Melody Lounge in Washington Heights because they would serve cheap beer to just about anyone! We kept going there until we heard some kid got stabbed, effectively ending our sojourns across the River.

The George Washington Bridge.

But, there was another bridge in my life. It's official name was The Governor Malcolm Wilson-Tappan Zee Bridge. We called it simply the TZ. Obviously, it was named partially after the governor of New York who built it. The other names come from the Native American tribe, the Tappan, who inhabited the area when it was first discovered by Henry Hudson, and the Dutch (who settled the area in the middle of the 17th Century) word for "sea".

We also called it The Upstate Bridge.

Although only about 25 miles north of the George Washington (GWB), to us, it seemed a world away. While the GWB was massive and constantly congested, the TZ seemed almost quaint and peaceful in comparison. Just taking a ride up Route 9W (the major north-south artery between the two structures) confirmed that impression. Fort Lee and the surrounding locales were getting more and more urban by the year. But, the further north you drove, the more you noticed how bucolic the setting became. After one cleared Englewood Cliffs (about 5 miles north of Fort Lee) it seemed to be endless verdant forest until you got to the quaint village of Nyack, the home of the Tappan Zee. It was like a breath of fresh air - literally.

The Malcolm Wilson-Tappan Zee Bridge

One of our neighbors was a boating enthusiast and owned a 42' cabin cruiser. A few times, they invited my family and I to join them for a trip up the Hudson. I'll never forget the feeling of sitting on the bow, wind in my face, as the apartment houses disappeared, replaced by the shear, rock-faced cliffs of the majestic Palisades. And, the further north we motored, the cleaner the water appeared to be. In fact, we were told that once we got past the TZ, the water would be clean enough to swim in! I remember how our neighbor and captain slowed the engines as we passed under the bridge. I marveled at the intricate weaving of the girders that supported the superstructure. We traveled a few miles north of the bridge to Nyack Beach State Park, nestled in the shadow of the awesome Hook Mountain, and spent the afternoon swimming. Little did we know at the time that the water there may not have been all that much cleaner than that in Fort Lee! Be that as it may, I'll never forget it.

In a bit of an ironic twist, I could never have known then that, many years later, I would eventually move from the sight of the GW to one of the TZ! Nearly 25 years after my first encounter with the Nyack area, a job brought me back - and, I never left.

The TZ Bridge

Now, the Tappan Zee Bridge has been declared obsolete, if not downright dangerous. As I write this post, the span has been closed, having been replaced by the state-of-the-art new span, featuring the best in the latest bridge technology. It is a magnificent new structure that is both delicate and powerful. It is to be called The Mario A. Cuomo Bridge. The old structure is to be demolished with many of its sections to be recycled.

The Mario A. Cuomo - Tappan Zee Bridge

For most of us who have known that bridge for more than 50 years, of course, there is a feeling of ambivalence: we are sad that a part of our youAdd captionth has past. But, we are pleased because a beautiful new, efficient bridge will take its place. Besides, the span may be gone (or, will be) but it can NEVER be forgotten - no matter what they call the new one.

All photos: F LoBuono