The Thruway Authority mentioned motorists ought to search alternate routes whereas this work takes place or keep away from journey within the space throughout these instances, if attainable.
The authority additionally mentioned the Plattekill Service space will shut at 5 p.m. Jan.6 and business autos could also be requested to go away the ability even earlier.
Closed to site visitors since Might, the Brookside Street overpass has been hit by over-height autos 9 instances in 2023 and 27 instances since 2019. These repeated collisions have resulted in appreciable harm to the metal that helps the overpass and decreased the quantity of weight it might probably safely carry, in response to the authority. Following common monitoring and a number of inspections, the Thruway Authority and consulting engineers have decided the overpass ought to be eliminated within the curiosity of public security.
In-built 1954, the bridge carries Brookside Street (milepost 74.17) over the Thruway – one lane of site visitors in every course – within the city of New Paltz in Ulster County. It had a vertical clearance is 14.2 toes, which has been diminished to 14 toes as a result of a number of bridge strikes in each instructions, together with one on Oct. 30 when its girders above the northbound lanes was struck by a truck hauling a forklift.
To restrict impacts to Thruway motorists, this work is scheduled to happen on Saturday evening into Sunday morning when site visitors volumes are at their lowest. In consequence, all northbound lanes north of exit 17 (Newburgh – Scranton – I-84 – NY Routes 17K and 300) will shut at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, and are anticipated to stay closed for no less than 12 hours. The northbound Thruway is anticipated to reopen the following morning, with site visitors diminished from two journey lanes to at least one journey lane by the development zone.
All northbound site visitors might be detoured at exit 17 in Newburgh. The detour between the exits for site visitors touring northbound is 24 miles on native roads (see map). Motorists can comply with the posted detour to I-84 east, the place they may journey three miles to exit 39 and switch left onto Route 9W north. After roughly 16 miles, autos will flip left on westbound Route 299. They’ll journey 5 miles to reenter the Thruway at interchange 18 (New Paltz – Poughkeepsie – NY Route 299).
Motorists ought to count on diminished speeds on Routes 9W and 299 and will encounter heavy delays. Detour indicators might be posted each two to a few miles alongside the detour. Motorists are inspired to hunt alternate routes to keep away from this space altogether.
Variable Message Indicators on the Thruway and surrounding highways will advise motorists of the upcoming work, beginning Tuesday, Jan 2.
Right here’s what motorists and residents ought to count on on the night of Saturday, Jan. 6:
- At 5 p.m. Saturday, the Plattekill Service Space alongside the northbound Thruway in Ulster County – situated between exits 17 and 18 – will shut, and all prospects might be required to go away the ability to make sure the roadway is evident of motorists. No meals, restrooms or gas companies might be accessible. Industrial autos could also be required to go away the service space even earlier to keep away from delays in departure.
- At 7 p.m. Saturday, all site visitors on the northbound Thruway might be required to go away the freeway at exit 17 in Newburgh.
- Saturday evening into Sunday morning – Crews will work to take away the overpass over the freeway.
- On Sunday morning, the detour at northbound exit 17 might be lifted and two journey lanes might be accessible besides within the development zone the place there’ll solely be one journey lane accessible. The Plattekill service space will reopen at the moment.
- On Sunday, work will proceed to take away the overpass, away from the journey lane.
- The second journey lane by the development zone will open as quickly as safely attainable.
- Inclement climate may trigger this work to be rescheduled.
Throughout this work, each journey lanes within the southbound course between exits 18 and 17 will stay open. Nevertheless, the 2 southbound lanes are scheduled to shut the next weekend (January 13-14) to take away the rest of the overpass, climate allowing. Additional particulars might be supplied within the coming weeks.
From 2021 by 2022, there have been a mixed 808 reported bridge strikes throughout New York State, in response to an announcement from the Thruway Authority.
In 2023, there have been 101 reported bridge strikes on the New York State Thruway’s 570-mile freeway, in comparison with a complete of 63 reported bridge strikes in all of 2022, a 60 p.c enhance from the prior yr.
Probably the most severe incidents included the South Broadway overpass in South Nyack, which was struck by an over-height tractor-trailer on Aug. 31. Because of the hit, all southbound lanes of I-87/I-287 had been closed for 16 hours on Sept. 9 to facilitate the elimination of two broken girders to stabilize the overpass.
