NEW YORK (WABC) — Just six years after the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge opened between Rockland and Westchester counties, problems with the cables supporting the nearly $4 billion bridge are causing safety concerns that could cost millions to fix. But who will pay for them?

The New York State Thruway Authority wants to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with the cables holding up the Mario Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge.

“There are no safety issues here, the public has no need to worry,” said Frank Hoare, executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority. “The bridge is safe and stable.”

However, there is a problem with the 61 anchor tubes that connect the cables to the structure.

The Thruway Authority is suing the contractor, claiming that the materials used were of inferior quality to those specified in the design contract. Each pipe must be retrofitted with steel sleeves.

“Our aim is to improve the durability of the bridge and give us what we paid for, which is a bridge for future generations,” Hoare said.

The new bridge opened in 2017 and carries almost 160,000 vehicles daily.

It’s clearly an improvement over its predecessor, but it’s been mired in controversy – from the renaming to claims by developers that the Thruway Authority owes them nearly a billion dollars for costly add-ons like the pedestrian walkway and glass-walled overlooks.

“This bridge is a lifeline to the Northeast economy,” said Congressman Mike Lawler.

Lawler has written a letter to the Thruway Authority asking how long the agency has known about the problem, how it will fix it and how much it will cost.

“Anything that needs to be done to address the structural concerns that have been raised needs to be done immediately, and there needs to be accountability for it,” Lawler said.

Regardless of the status of the litigation, construction will begin next spring and could take up to three years.

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