The state Senate has passed a bill that would correct the spelling of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge by adding an extra “z” — a move that could cost taxpayers millions if approved.
Signs for the bridge, named for the 16th-century Italian explorer Giovanni de Verrazzano, have been spelled incorrectly for 50 years because of a typo in an original construction contract.
But a bill introduced by Republican state Sen. Marty Golden, whose Brooklyn district includes the bridge’s eastern entrance, could change that if passed by the Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Cuomo, whose office said Thursday that he supported the measure.
“For more than 50 years, State law has permitted the continued misspelling of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Over these decades, the misspelling was replicated time and again — in highway law, navigation law, environmental conservation law, public authorities law, and the Administrative Code of the City of New York,” Republican Staten Island state Sen. Andrew Lanza, who co-sponsored the bill, told SI Live.
A similar bill was floated in 2017, but the MTA shot it down as too expensive and the measure died. The MTA did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
When the state changed the name of the Triborough Bridge to the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in 2008, it cost more than $4 million to replace more than 100 signs with the new name.
Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi told The Post the governor approved of adding the “z.”
“We certainly support correcting a misspelling of the name of a public facility and will review the details of the legislation, including implementation and associated costs,” he said.
Assembly Democrats from Staten Island said there is also support for the measure in their chamber. Assemblyman Matthew Titone said the issue was important to Italian-Americans.
“To many Italian-Americans in Staten Island and throughout the state, the correct spelling is important. I would concede that it is not the most pressing issue before the legislature but there is a symbolic importance,” Assemblyman Matthew Titone said.
But some taxpayers who commented on the story on SI Live thought changing a name after 50 years was a waste of their money.
“It warms the heart to see that our State Senate is on top of the most crucial events impacting our state. While the homeless pile up on our sidewalks, and our roadways and public transportation systems are collapsing, at least the name of the bridge will be spelled correctly,” a reader called WildEagle commented on SI Live.
Former City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito caustically weighed in on Twitter, asking, “Seriously?”