Singer Tennessee Ernie Ford may be legendary for singing that when you take 16 tons of coal you just get another day older and deeper in debt.

In Coatesville, however, a work force of 800 people are contributing to the making of 160,000 tons of steel, building local job security and a $3.9 billion bridge to last a hundred years.

The ArcelorMittal steel plate production facility in Coatesville is playing a major role in a significant national infrastructure initiative by supplying high performance plate steel to upgrade the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York.

ArcelorMittal’s Burns Harbor (Chicago) and Conshohocken plants are also supplying high performance steel for one of the largest transportation design-build project to date in the U.S. and one of the largest construction contracts in New York’s history.

The steel is going to High Industries and Hirschfield Industries for bridge and girder fabrication. In total, about 160,000 tons of ArcelorMittal plate from the three plants will go into the new bridge.

The first span of the new twin-span bridge is scheduled to open in 2016 and should be completed in 2018. The new bridge will be designed and constructed to last 100 years without major structural maintenance.

The bridge is being designed and built by Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC and a consortium of some of the world’s best-known design, engineering and construction firms, including Fluor, American Bridge, Granite and Traylor Bros, Inc.

ArcelorMittal just recently announced some organizational moves to enhance North American performance, which represent one quarter of the company’s steel shipments and profits. Read about the changes here.