State Halts Pile Driving For New Tappan Zee Bridge Due To Noise Complaints

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's quiet on the Hudson River once more after complaints from officials and residents in South Nyack brought an end to the pile driving going on at the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

"Hearing complaints from residents -- the pounding and when it wasn't that severe pounding, it was almost like a drip on your head," Mayor Bonnie Christian said.

Listen to State Halts Pile Driving For New Tappan Zee Bridge Due To Noise Complaints

Christian told 1010 WINS' Al Jones they knew the work would be noisy, but driving 50-foot flat sheet piles against the Rockland shore was way beyond noise levels that were set in the contract for Tappan Zee Bridge construction.

"They're going over the 90 decibels. And they were way over so we wanted to meet with them and say 'hey listen, this can't be,'" the mayor added.

The state ordered the contractor to halt the pile driving after weeks of complaints from local officials.

"One of our residents said her house was shaking and it was all do to the vibrations and the noise," Christian said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's point man on the bridge said pile driving will resume but only after the contractor figures out a way to do it more quietly, Jones reported.

Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com: