Steel Mills

ArcelorMittal USA Plate to Be Part of Tappan Zee Bridge Project in NY

March 16, 2014

ArcelorMittal USA is building bridges, or at least starring in a supporting role. All three of the ArcelorMittal USA mills—Burns Harbor, Coatesville and Conshohocke—are supplying high performance plate steel to replace the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York. The project is one the largest contracts in New York history and the largest transportation infrastructure project to date in the US.

The $3.9 billion project, started in early 2013, will replace the current Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Toll Bridge with a 3.1 mile twin span cable-stayed bridge with angled main span towers. About 160,000 tons of plate steel from ArcelorMittal will be used by major steel fabricators, High Industries and Hirschfield Industries Bridge, for bridge and girder fabrication.

The bridge spans the Hudson River connecting Rockland County to Westchester County. Opening of the first span of the bridge is scheduled for 2016 with completion by 2018.

“We are very pleased to have been selected to provide our high performance plate material for this major, historic infrastructure project,” said John Battisti, chief operating officer, ArcelorMittal USA Plate.

The bridge is being designed and built by Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) and a consortium of some design, engineering and construction firms, including Fluor, American Bridge, Granite and Traylor Bros, Inc.

The American Institute of Steel Construction president Roger Ferch said the contract awards to ArcelorMittal USA, High Steel Structures and Hirschfield Industries “validates the fact that the United States steel construction industry has the capacity, capability, and collaborative spirit to meet our nation’s infrastructure needs.”

“We are in the very early stages of supplying material for this project. Delivery performance will be critical, as there is high visibility for this ‘buy American’ fabricated project.” said Jayne Atherton, division manager, order fulfillment and customer service, plate, ArcelorMittal USA. “We were awarded the business because of the proximity of our Eastern plate mills to the fabrication location, and due to the longstanding favorable business relationships with both fabrication companies. We have unique combined capabilities at all three of our plate facilities to supply 100% of the plate product: lighter gauge plate from Conshohocken, wide and heavy plate from Coatesville and long quench and temper plate from Burns Harbor. This capability combination is unavailable anywhere else in the world and really sets us apart from our competitors.”