NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Congressman Mondaire Jones is asking Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to launch an investigation into potential structural integrity issues that have been raised over the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.
Jones, who represents Westchester and Rockland counties, sent a letter last Friday asking the Department of Transportation to probe accusations of a cover-up of brittle bolts as reported this month by the Albany Times Union.
"Public safety is of paramount importance, and any claims that the bridge may contain dangerous structural deficiencies must be immediately and thoroughly investigated," Jones wrote.
Jones tells WCBS 880's Steve Burns that he's just looking for peace of mind.
"Thousands of people every day use that bridge, myself included most times, and we deserve to have comfort that nothing will go wrong," Jones said. "It's important for that peace of mind that I described that an independent agency at the federal level participate."
A whistleblower claims Tappan Zee Constructors attempted to hide dozens of broken bolts from state authorities.
The Thruway Authority dismisses those claims as "unfortunate, misleading, and erroneous statements that irresponsibly portrays an alarming and unsafe situation - one which is certainly not the case."
Project director James Barbas said in a statement last week that the Thruway Authority spent more than $1 million investigating and testing the bolts on the span when it learned of concerns in 2016 and also immediately informed the Inspector General of the allegations of bolt failures at the time.
"The bridge has been and continues to be safe for the traveling public," Barbas said. "In addition to the extensive testing and analysis already performed, the entire structure is routinely inspected and monitored, and during our most recent biennial inspection, we found no additional bolt failures of concern."
The state Inspector General's Office said it conducted a thorough investigation of the bolt issue, which included reviewing thousands of documents, collecting evidence and conducting interviews with specific individuals.
"As soon as the allegation of potentially faulty bolts was brought to the Inspector General's attention, investigative staff responded immediately, reviewing thousands of documents, collecting evidence and conducting interviews with specific individuals. The Inspector General's Office reviewed audio of conversations between individuals who were involved in trying to conceal the replacement of bolts. Additionally, the Inspector General sought and obtained sworn testimony from engineers who admitted to covertly replacing broken bolts," the office said.
It added, "As part of this investigation, in March 2017, the Thruway Authority engaged an independent testing laboratory to evaluate broken bolts discovered on the project. The laboratory informed the Thruway Authority that the bolts did not compromise the safety of the bridge. The Thruway Authority communicated this finding to the Inspector General and also advised that it is undertaking additional inspections and testing of the bolts as warranted."
The Inspector General's Office said it is currently legally prohibited from disclosing specific findings of its investigation, which it shared with Thruway Authority and state attorney general's office.
The New York Post reports Tappan Zee Constructors is suing the Thruway Authority for $960 million, accusing officials of having interfered with and delayed the project through costly change orders.
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