Thruway Repairs To Start Between Woodbury And Newburgh

ORANGE COUNTY, NY — A $36.6 million pavement improvement project on the New York State Thruway in Orange County will cover 12 miles between Newburgh and Woodbury.

The project includes partial and full-depth repairs of a section of I-87 traveled by about 53,000 vehicles each day in both directions from the Harriman - US Route 6 - NY Route 17 interchange to the I-84 - NY Routes 17K & 300 interchange.

"The Thruway is an important travel corridor for residents and visitors alike to our region and Orange County," said Town of Cornwall Supervisor Josh Wojehowski said.

The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

"As the Thruway prepares to mark its 70th anniversary this year, we’re using toll dollars to improve the dependability of our 570-mile highway system and provide motorists with a smoother ride," Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said in the announcement. "This project is another example of our continued investment in road and bridge projects across the Hudson Valley and the state to address aging infrastructure and modernize our transportation system, including upgrading our 27 service areas."

About 85 percent of the roadway base of I-87 and I-90 dates back to the Thruway's original construction in the 1950s, highlighting the need for heavy maintenance, reconstruction, and rehabilitation activities to keep the riding surface in a state of good repair, he said.

"New York State is committed to rehabilitating aging infrastructure in tourism and commuter corridors," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in the announcement. "This project will make critical safety improvements to I-87 in Orange County, provide a safer driving experience for the millions of New Yorkers who drive on the Thruway every year, and modernize the state's transportation infrastructure."

In 2023, motorists took more than 396.9 million trips and drove 8.1 billion miles on the Thruway, a user-fee supported roadway that receives no dedicated federal, state, or local tax dollars to cover the costs of operating and maintaining the superhighway, state officials pointed out.

The Orange County project will begin with full-depth pavement repairs, meaning crews will remove and replace the most deteriorated portions on the roadway (from milepost 48.0 to 60.1), down to its subbase in both the northbound and southbound direction.

Covering approximately 48 total lane miles, the repairs will improve the existing roadway’s structural integrity.

Crews will also address less stressed areas of the roadway by removing the existing asphalt overlay and installing a two-inch asphalt overlay for an improved riding experience.

Safety improvements will include new guiderail, joint repairs, reflective line striping and replacing lane delineators. Additionally, paving operations will take place overnight on weekdays to reduce impacts to motorists.

"Good roads are essential to the quality of life in the Hudson Valley, and thousands of my constituents use the Thruway daily to get to work. They should be able to concentrate on their driving and not worry about avoiding potholes and bad stretches of highway while using the Thruway," Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson said. "I applaud the Thruway Authority for doing this long-overdue maintenance."

Following a competitive bidding process, Crisdel Group, Inc. was chosen as the project contractor, state police said.

Motorists may encounter lane closures on the highway along with traffic shifts and stoppages while construction is underway. All work is weather dependent and subject to change. Motorists are urged to be alert and follow the posted work zone speed limits. Fines are doubled for speeding a work zone.

To further enhance safety for workers in a work zone, Hochul signed legislation establishing the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement pilot program. The safety enforcement program began in April 2023 and is in effect in various active construction zones on the Thruway. Work zones with speed camera enforcement will have clear signage leading up to the work zone. Motorists violating the posted speed limit within the work zone will be fined. Violation fines will be issued to the vehicle’s registered owner by mail. More information on the program can be found here.

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