Union Official: Operator Error Didn't Cause Crane Collapse on Tappan Zee Bridge

What to Know

  • A crane being used in the construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge crashed onto the current span at about noon on Tuesday.
  • Two drivers and a worker were hurt, though their injuries were all considered minor
  • The bridge was closed for hours after the collapse

A union official says operator error isn't what caused a crane's 250-foot-long boom to collapse across New York's Tappan Zee Bridge.

Jeff Loughlin, business manager for International Union of Operating Engineers Local 137, tells The New York Times he's spoken with the operator who claims to know what spurred the collapse. But Loughlin says he promised investigators he wouldn't publicly reveal the cause.

Two drivers were injured after the sudden fall Tuesday snarled traffic, closed all seven lanes for hours and caused extensive damage to the 3.1 mile span between Westchester and Rockland counties.

Federal and state officials are investigating. The newspaper says authorities have reviewed the crane's black box and interviewed the operator.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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