7. The Original Tappan Zee was Designed to Last Only 50 Years

Tappan Zee Bridge in New York heading toward Westchester. Image via Wikimedia Commons. 

The reason the bridge became such a huge infrastructural danger in the past few years is because Tappan Zee was deliberately built only to last 50 years. It passed its expected expiration date in 2005. The reason for the short timeline? There was a material shortage during construction because of the Korean War, so the project was built on the cheap from the beginning at a low budget of $81 million.

Many people were worried that the structure would collapse on itself. There were cracks in the concrete columns, while the rest of the metal rusted away with the decks almost worn through. But now drivers can rest easy with a solid, new structure ready and open for driving.