Developer Selected for New City Island Bridge

The city has picked a developer to construct a controversial new $102 million bridge to link City Island to the mainland. Tutor Perini will replace the antiquated span with a futuristic cable-stayed bridge that many residents say is out of context with the island's rustic charm.

The new bridge, crowned by an off-center 180-foot high H-shaped tower, has been compared to a giant Honda logo. The design, which is intended to look like a sailboat, would dwarf the one- and two-story Victorian homes, bait shacks and seafood restaurants on the island.

While the cable-stayed design would be the first of its kind in New York state, the bridge's height would be nearly triple the 35-foot maximum on the island—though it's a big improvement on the original, 450-foot-high design.

A temporary three-lane bridge would be erected during construction. The temporary bridge will be constructed next to the current bridge from Pelham Bay Park to City Island Avenue and the new span will be built where the existing City Island Bridge now sits.

The $102.7 million price tag set by the firm was the lowest of 11 bids, according to the Department of Transportation. When completed, the new span would be the first major cable-stayed bridge in the state, with federal funding covering $100 million of the project cost.

The three low bidders were:

•    Tutor Perini Corporation               $102,688,00.20
•    Judlau Contracting                      $128,733,00.00
•    City Island Bridge Constructors    $132,588,552.05

Cable-stayed bridges are similar to typical suspension bridges in that the weight of the roadway is borne by cables. But in the newfangled version, all the weight-bearing cables are anchored to the tower itself rather than hanging off a main cable.
 
It’s not the first time Tutor Perini has been involved in New York bridge drama. Last month, the firm was blasted for outsourcing a $235 million MTA contract to work on the Verrazano Bridge to two Chinese steel companies.

The bridge proposal did not go through the Uniform Land-Use Review Process because it is merely replacing an existing bridge — the 17-foot-tall, 112-year-old metal swing bridge that currently connects City Island to the rest of the Bronx.

Construction is set to begin in 2014 and is scheduled for completion in 2017. 

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