Skanska has been awarded a $249 million contract by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to deliver main cable dehumidification project of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York. The contract, which was signed in July 2025, is for the installation of a main cable dehumidification system—a new technology that will help extend the life of the suspension bridge’s massive steel cables.
“It’s a privilege to help make one of the nation’s most iconic crossings even more resilient with these essential improvements,” said Bill Matre, senior vice president at Skanska Koch, noting the project’s impact in safeguarding a critical piece of infrastructure for future generations.
A Lifeline for New York and Beyond
Stretching from Staten Island to Brooklyn, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is not just a landmark, but a lifeline to the region’s transportation network. It moves more than 220,000 vehicles a day and provides the shortest highway connection between the Mid-Atlantic states and Long Island. As a critical yet highly utilized bridge in the United States, monitoring its structural health is of utmost importance to the millions of drivers, commuters, and businesses that rely on it. The MTA is betting big on infrastructure upgrades, recently awarding a $1.97 billion contract to begin tunnel-boring construction for Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway.
Project Scope: What Skanska Will Deliver
This design-build project includes a full package of preservation and monitoring work:
Design and installation of a main cable dehumidification system on all four cables
Installation of an acoustic monitoring system on each cable.
Electrical and communications system upgrades that support these technologies.
Five years of post-commissioning maintenance and performance monitoring to confirm results.
Work to enable internal inspection of main cable panels.
Replacement of significant components, including all cable band bolts, main cable aerial obstruction lights and supports, messenger cables, hand ropes, and stanchions.
Completion is expected in Q3 2029.
What Is Cable Dehumidification?
The project will fit a system that seals the four main cables and blows dry air through them to keep relative humidity at below around 50%. By depriving corrosion of the moisture it needs, the system slows down deterioration of the high-strength steel wires at the heart of a suspension bridge.
Proven on Other Iconic Bridges
While new to the Verrazzano-Narrows, this technology has been successfully applied elsewhere. The George Washington Bridge in New York and Japan’s Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the world’s longest suspension span, both use dehumidification to slow corrosion and prolong cable life. In Japan, the approach has been credited with significant reductions in long-term maintenance costs over two decades, demonstrating strong lifecycle value.
Building Resilience Through Sustainability
Beyond extending infrastructure lifespans, dehumidification drives sustainability by reducing the frequency and intensity of material- and carbon-intensive maintenance campaigns. As authorities adopt more proactive preservation strategies, they lower lifecycle emissions, minimize traffic disruption, and make limited capital go further. The Verrazzano-Narrows program aligns with this trend—wedding corrosion control to continuous condition monitoring with a view to maintaining a critical asset while improving long-term environmental and financial performance.
For the MTA, the investment in cutting-edge preservation means that one of New York’s most critical bridges will be safe, resilient, and efficient for future generations. For Skanska, the project demonstrates how infrastructure maintenance and sustainability can be combined, providing both environmental and economic.
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Main Cable Dehumidification Project: Factsheet
Project Overview
Contractor: Skanska
Client: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
Contract Value: $249 million
Contract Date: July 2025
Completion: Q3 2029
Project Type: Dehumidification Project
Bridge Profile
Location: Connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn, New York City
Daily Traffic: Over 220,000 vehicles
Strategic Importance: Shortest highway route between Mid-Atlantic states and Long Island
Status: One of the busiest bridges in the United States
Project Scope
The comprehensive preservation program includes:
Main Cable Dehumidification System
Design and installation on all four main cables
Maintains relative humidity below 50% through sealed cable circulation of dry air
Proven technology used on George Washington Bridge and Japan’s Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
Monitoring & Infrastructure Upgrades
Acoustic monitoring system installation on each cable
Electrical and communications system upgrades
Five years of post-commissioning maintenance and performance monitoring
Internal inspection facilitation for main cable panels
Component Replacements
All cable band bolts
Main cable aerial obstruction lights and supports
Messenger cables, hand ropes, and stanchions
Technology Benefits
Corrosion Prevention: Dehumidification denies moisture to high-strength steel cable wires, significantly slowing degradation
Proven Results: Japan’s Akashi Kaikyo Bridge has demonstrated significant long-term maintenance cost reductions over two decades
Sustainability Impact: Reduces frequency of heavy maintenance campaigns, lowering lifecycle emissions and traffic disruptions while optimizing capital investment
