Boater Safety Crackdown Around Tappan Zee Bridge
PIERMONT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Authorities are increasing safety patrols around the Tappan Zee Bridge construction project.
Boater safety is a major concern around the construction zone.
"In the waters around the Tappan Zee Bridge project, recreational boaters face a growing number of more construction vessels and restricted navigation areas," Rockland County Executive Ed Day told WCBS 880's Sean Adams.
Day and Sheriff Louis Falco III say local law enforcers will be coordinating their efforts with the Coast Guard.
"The Coast Guard has been up here, they have looked over the situation," Falco said. "They will be able to mark things out and give the do's and don'ts to the boaters, which we will enforce."
It will also include a crackdown on impaired boaters.
Last July, two boaters were killed and four injured when their powerboat crashed into a barge. The area around the Tappan Zee is now far more congested with construction vessels than at the time of the crash.
There's also been a history of barges breaking loose at the construction site.
The state Thruway Authority has issued precise guidelines for recreational boating in the area. For more information, click here.
Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com:
(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)