TARRYTOWN, N.Y. -- Driving down the newly-named Mario M. Cuomo bridge in a 1955 Corvette, Governor Andrew Cuomo said goodbye to the Tappan Zee Bridge -- a span that had become a symbol of aging infrastructure in New York State.
"That was yesterday, this is today," Cuomo said.
The governor used the opening of the bridge to send a message: that it's time to invest in large-scale projects, while honoring his father with the bridge's new name.
"Today my father does smile down on us, for we together have dared to dream once again. And we together have worked hard to turn those dreams into reality," said Cuomo.
To get to this point, those involved in the project say it's taken a lot of work. The idea of building a new bridge came up almost 20 years ago. But with the project put on the fast track by the federal government, and federal money allocated to the project, officials says the bridge is an accomplishment after 5 years of construction.
"This is the biggest project in the history of the New York State Thruway Authority," said Thruway Board of Directors Chair Joanie Mahoney. "The result is a brand new bridge that will ease travel throughout the entire region and offer massive improvements over the old one."
"The future belongs to those who build it," said Cuomo.
Four lanes on the Rockland-bound part of the bridge will open Friday. In the fall, several traffic lanes into Westchester will open.