Bridge Removal To Close Part Of Northbound I-87

MID-HUDSON VALLEY, NY — A portion of the northbound Thruway will be closed in order to remove a damaged overpass.

The New York State Thruway Authority said Wednesday that the northbound lanes of Interstate 87 from exit 17 in Newburgh to exit 18 in New Paltz will fully shut down to all traffic at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6 for at least 12 hours.

During that time, a portion of the damaged Brookside Road overpass in New Paltz will be removed, weather permitting.

The Plattekill Service Area will be closed during this operation, the Thruway Authority said.

Motorists should seek alternate routes while the work is taking place or avoid travel in the area, if possible.

Officials said the Brookside Road overpass has been closed to traffic since May. It’s been hit by over-height vehicles nine times in 2023 and 27 times since 2019. The repeated collisions have resulted in considerable damage to the steel that supports the overpass and decreased the amount of weight it can safely carry.

Following regular monitoring and multiple inspections, Thruway and consulting engineers have determined the overpass should be removed in the interest of public safety.

To limit impacts to motorists, the work is scheduled to take place on Saturday night into Sunday morning when traffic volumes are at their lowest.

As a result, all northbound lanes north of exit 17 (Newburgh - Scranton - I-84 - NY Routes 17K and 300) will close at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6 and are expected to remain closed for at least 12 hours. The northbound Thruway is expected to reopen the next morning, with traffic reduced from two travel lanes to one travel lane through the construction zone.

All northbound traffic will be detoured at exit 17 in Newburgh. The detour between the exits for traffic traveling northbound is 24 miles on local roads. Motorists can follow the posted detour to I-84 east, where they will travel 3 miles to exit 39 and turn left onto Route 9W north.

After about 16 miles, vehicles will turn left on westbound Route 299. They will travel 5 miles to reenter the Thruway at interchange 18 (New Paltz - Poughkeepsie - NY Route 299).

Motorists should expect reduced speeds on Routes 9W and 299 and may encounter heavy delays. Detour signs will be posted every 2 to 3 miles along the detour. The Thruway Authority is encouraging drivers to seek alternate routes to avoid this area altogether.

Variable Message Signs on the Thruway and surrounding highways will advise motorists of the upcoming work, starting Tuesday, Jan 2.

During the work, both travel lanes in the southbound direction between exits 18 and 17 will remain open. However, the two southbound lanes are scheduled to close the weekend of Jan. 13-14 to remove the remainder of the overpass, weather permitting. More information will be provided about that process in the coming weeks.

Built in 1954, the four-span continuous four-girder bridge carries Brookside Road (milepost 74.17) over the Thruway, with one land of traffic in each direction, in the town of New Paltz in Ulster County.

It had a vertical clearance of 14.2 feet, which has been reduced to 14 feet due to multiple bridge strikes in both directions.