2. MTA Wanted to Outsource Building Materials

As with any major city development, the renovation of the Throgs Neck Bridge was surrounded in controversy. In the mid-1980s, a series of “Buy American” protests from union workers arose when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) debated using South Korean steel to reconstruct the roadway. In light of the objection, the MTA purchased steel from domestic mills, adding an additional $3 million to the overall cost of project ($33 million).