TZ Bridge Construction Jobs Coming to Rockland

Tappan Zee Constructors joined over 70 employers and state agencies with tables at the job fair in Rockland Community College's Levy Fieldhouse Tuesday.

According to Brian Coneybeare, special advisor to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the contractor is looking to hire as many people as possible from the Hudson Valley to work on building the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

"They are taking resumes. They are looking for local people to hire here in Rockland and Westchester Counties," Coneybeare said.

The project is expected to create thousands of jobs and boost local businesses, but that does not mean all of those people are being hired in the near future. Coneybeare said the bridge is being built with a design build model. That has some advantages, such as putting the financial risk of potential delays and cost overruns on the contractor instead of the taxpayers, but it takes time.

"But under the design project model, these projects ramp up fairly slowly, so they are not hiring thoussands and thousands of people this month," Coneybeare said. "This is a process that unfolds over 12 to 24 months. But the door of opportunity on the Tappan Zee project is opening right now. There will be thousands of jobs available in all types of fields, not just construction. There will be an economic ripple effect across the Hudson Valley."

State Senator David Carlucci, who co-hosted the job fair along with RCC, also spoke of the impact of the project on the local economy and infrastructure. 

"One of the largest infrastructure projects in the nation happening right here in our community," Carlucci said. "By rebuilding the Tappan Zee Bridge, we’re going to be able to put thousands of people to work right here in our community and pave the way to have the up-to-date, most technoclolgially advanced infrastructure in the nation, making sure we can compete and be a viable economic powerhouse for the future."

"This is a great and exciting project for the State of New York," said Thom Kleiner, Hudson Valley regional representative to the NYS Dept. of Labor. "The governor has taken the initiative in moving very fast. There will be a lot more in the weeks to come about this project and we are right in the center of it in the Hudson Valley."