E. E. Cruz & Company, Inc. secured a new $108.8 million contract in joint venture with Tully Construction Co., Inc. to replace and widen the roadway and supporting structure of the Queens approach of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, which connects vehicular traffic from the Bronx to Queens and onto Long Island, for the MTA Triborough Bridge and Tunnels Authority. The 1,010-foot long elevated Queens approach will be replaced in its entirety with a completely new structure, including foundations and six double-arch concrete piers to support a widened roadway constructed of steel girders and concrete deck. A key component of the upgrade is the widening of the structure to provide 12-foot lanes and proper shoulders that meet present-day standards; a major improvement on the existing circa 1930s narrow-width roadway lanes. The planned structure has been designed to carry current traffic loads and meet contemporary seismic criteria. The number of travel lanes on the approach will remain the same at three in each direction when construction is completed in January 2015.