Members of the Assembly Minority Conference are calling for a federal investigation into the structural integrity of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge after a recent report raised questions about the state’s oversight of the bridge and its inquiry into safety complaints. The call comes in the wake of an investigative report featured in the Times Union detailing a possible cover-up in order to prioritize construction completion over bridge safety.

To that end, members of the Conference penned a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General requesting an immediate investigation to ensure the bridge is safe and that state officials, private contractors and others involved in the bridge’s completion acted appropriately. The letter, signed by all 43 members of the Conference, states:

“Based on conversations with individuals involved in both the bridge’s construction and attorney general’s investigation, the Times Union report raises serious and numerous concerns over the bridge’s safety and whether political intervention influenced the investigation. The slow movement of the inquiry, the unusually-low financial settlement reached with [Tappan Zee Constructors], the political considerations at play in finishing the project as quickly as possible and the failure to publicly release the conclusions of the state’s findings all raise serious concerns about the integrity of the investigation.”

In 2017, the New York state attorney general launched an investigation into concerns regarding the structural integrity of bolts used in the construction process of the bridge, and whether a private corporation, Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC), falsely certified the bridge’s safety. That investigation resulted in a $2 million settlement with the state and relevant records were sealed from the public.

“The deficiencies of the Mario Cuomo Bridge, as outlined by the Times Union exposé, are not only an extreme danger to public safety, they also serve as a microcosm for the lack of transparency and accountability exhibited by the government,” said Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick). “Nothing is ever how it seems with the Cuomo Administration. I have deep concerns about the timetable in which this project was completed, and the quality of the bridge’s structural integrity. The investigation into the fraudulent activities surrounding the construction and alleged shortcuts demands unbiased and thorough attention. Further, experts suggest the bridge is likely to deteriorate faster as more bolts break. State officials have been aware of the deficiencies for years and have failed to act on it, neglecting to publicly release the conclusions of the state’s findings and essentially waiting for a disaster to occur. I have written to the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General to further investigate the defections of the bridge and the perfunctory manner in which it was constructed.”

“This weekend’s bombshell reporting from The Albany Times Union is just the latest example of an administration that will always put the governor’s politics ahead of the health and safety of New Yorkers. There’s no corner they won’t cut. There’s no whistleblower they won’t ignore. There’s no bridge too far,” said Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square).