NEW YORK _ A crane driving pilings for the new Tappan Zee Bridge project collapsed at about noon Tuesday, causing minor injuries and blocking all lanes of traffic on the busy span north of New York City, authorities said.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said a crane operating a vibratory hammer failed, causing the boom to collapse across the bridge, which spans the Hudson River between Rockland and Westchester counties.
"We don't know exactly what caused the malfunction," he said.
Cuomo said one worker received minor injuries, and two cars had minor accidents as they attempted to avoid the crane debris.
"But miraculously, there were no serious injuries whatsoever," he said.
Investigators must now piece together what happened and determine the extent of the damage to the Tappan Zee Bridge, which is being replaced by a new span, Cuomo said.
"We are going to be doing an investigation to find out what happened to the crane and why the crane malfunctioned," he said. "We're also going to be inspecting the lanes to make sure there's no structural damage to the bridge."
The bridge will remain closed to traffic until the inspection is complete, he said. A team of inspectors was flying to the scene Tuesday afternoon to study both the deck and the underside of the span.
Cuomo said the boom of the crane caused visible damage to at least one southbound lane of the bridge _ damage that is significant enough to keep that lane from immediately reopening.
The crane was one of 28 working on the bridge on Tuesday, he said.
"Dozens and dozens of cranes have been operating on that bridge for months," Cuomo said. "This is the first accident we've had. We don't know what caused the accident of this crane. If there's a silver lining to this, it would be that no one was seriously hurt."
Terry Towle, president of Tappan Zee Constructors, said at the news conference that the crane was new and that wind did not play a factor in its failure.
"Obviously, it's one of three issues: It's a problem with the crane, it's a problem with the hammer, it's operator error," he said. "That's what the investigation will look at."
The task the crane was engaged in _ driving pilings _ was "a routine task, not a special task," Towle said.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day said he was thankful no one was seriously injured in the incident.
"We're very fortunate to have a crane of that size come down on the bridge and come away with no serious injuries, no deaths," Day said. "We're very fortunate."
Atabey Sanchez-Haiman, 35, from Providence, R.I., who was nearly across the bridge when the crane collapsed, described a scene of motorists idling in their vehicles, waiting for information.
"Many came out of their cars to walk their dogs and talk to others, and some were looking for a bathroom," Sanchez-Haiman said. "A few people walked to the end to see what was happening and came back to report to the rest of us."
Sanchez-Haiman said authorities had begun allowing cars to make U-turns to get off the bridge.
Taylor Neill, 17, of Southampton, was en route to Nyack to visit her aunt when her family's car became stuck on the bridge due to the collapse.
"There were a lot of people working, trying to make the best of the situation," Neill said. "Many were getting out of their cars and taking photographs. Some were even playing football."
