MTA announces plans for significant renovation of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge suspension system.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is poised to approve a substantial 9 million renovation of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, North America’s longest suspension bridge, during its upcoming board meeting. The focus of this initiative is the installation of an advanced dehumidification system designed to preserve the bridge’s main cables from corrosion for decades to come.
The dehumidification system involves enclosing the bridge’s four primary cables—each comprising 26,108 individual wires—within an elastic sheath. Warm, dry air will be pumped into these cables, effectively maintaining the humidity level below 50 percent. MTA engineers assert that this innovative approach will prevent ongoing corrosion and mitigate the risk of future damage from environmental factors.
MTA officials recognize that as humidity increases due to changing climate conditions, the risk of corrosion accelerates. Addressing this concern has prompted the authority to adopt proven technologies successfully implemented in other global infrastructure endeavors, such as bridge projects in Japan. Recent applications of similar techniques, like those on the George Washington Bridge, have reinforced confidence in this approach.
If the MTA board approves the contract, Skanska Koch Inc. will receive 9 million to execute the dehumidification system’s construction and provide maintenance services for five years. This project is expected to span approximately four years, during which supplementary enhancements will take place, including the replacement of bridge lighting, hand ropes, and the hardware that connects the main cables to the roadway’s suspension mechanism. Additionally, a new acoustic monitoring system will be installed to detect any wire breaks in real time.
In a strategic parallel, the MTA is also addressing similar dehumidification efforts on the Queens section of the Triboro Bridge, where American Bridge Company is engaged in a .5 million contract set to conclude by September 2027.
Last year, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge project was among several initiatives temporarily halted due to the pause in congestion pricing by Governor Kathy Hochul. However, dehumidification projects for the Throgs Neck and Whitestone bridges will be incorporated into the MTA’s recently approved 2025-2029 capital plan, with a total of 7 million earmarked for these undertakings.
This strategic investment in infrastructure maintenance underscores the MTA’s commitment to ensuring the safety and durability of its transportation facilities while simultaneously addressing evolving environmental challenges.
