President Obama is scheduled to speak in the lower Hudson Valley Wednesday afternoon, in Westchester County. With the Tappan Zee Bridge as a backdrop, he is expected to highlight the need for investment in infrastructure.
The president will deliver his speech in Tarrytown. Congresswoman Nita Lowey, the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, expects Obama will reference the$1.6 billion low-interest loan U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx approved toward the end of last year for construction of the replacement bridge.
“I worked with Secretary Foxx in getting the loan,” says Lowey. "It was the largest loan every given to any municipality anywhere. So I’m sure he’s coming here to talk about that loan, how important the Tappan Zee Bridge is for commuters, for safety. And we’re going to continue to work with him to try and find those dollars to keep the tolls down.”
The new bridge is expected to be completed by 2018 at a cost of $3.9 billion.
