Overnight operations are now underway to transition Rockland-bound traffic from the old Tappan Zee Bridge onto the new Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

Officials from Thruway Authority say Rockland-bound lanes will switch overnight from the old bridge to the new one. The changeover should be completed by 8 a.m. Saturday.

Well before the bridge itself, on I-287, traffic had slowed to a crawl once the work commenced.

The new bridge took four years to build, at about $3.9 billion.

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday morning to kick off the opening of the bridge.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was the first to drive across the span with 96-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor Armando "Chick" Gallela, of Sleepy Hollow.

While many commuters were tired of the old bridge and are excited to see the new one open, others are nostalgic for some elements of the Tappan Zee, including its old name. The new Tappan Zee has been named the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, in honor of Gov. Cuomo's father.