TARRYTOWN, N.Y. -- The new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge is apparently being haunted by the old Tappan Zee Bridge, even as the latter is being dismantled, as leading political opponents of Governor Andrew Cuomo see opportunity.

Just after Friday's grand opening of the final span of the Mario M. Cuomo bridge -- held by the governor and supporter Hillary Clinton -- the span was closed.

The contractor who is dismantling the Tappan Zee, Tappan Zee Constructors, said in an emailed statement that right after the grand opening ceremony, workers found a flawed joint in its east anchor span.

Tappan Zee Constructors said that flawed joint could cause part of the old structure to fall, and since the structure is so close to the new span, it had to be shut down.

Republican candidate for governor, Marc Molinaro, held a press conference on Sunday near the bridge, saying the National Transportation Safety Board should investigate whether public safety was compromised in planning Friday's opening.

"It's now clearer than ever that the bridge was opened to meet Governor Cuomo's timetable without regard to public safety," Molinaro said in a statement.

Cuomo's Democratic challenger Cynthia Nixon is also calling for an investigation to find out if there are any political motivations for fully opening the bridge ahead of Thursday's Democratic primary election.

"A ribbon cutting ceremony should not have been held if the bridge span was not yet safe," Nixon said in an emailed statement. "There are real, reasonable questions about whether this bridge span opening was accelerated to aid the governor's campaign."

Governor Cuomo held a press conference in New York City on Sunday, addressing numerous political issues including the one Nixon is trying to brand as #CuomosBridgegate on social media.

Cuomo said he's not that calculating.

"We didn't make the decision on the opening of the new span," he said. "The contractor did. So, in political silly season, people can say anything."

Cuomo went on to say that teams of engineers who have been flown in from around the world are examining the old Tappan Zee structure, and cannot say when the new span of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge will open again.

The dismantling of the Tappan Zee was scheduled to be complete by next July, Cuomo said.