AASHTO Journal, 14 February 2014
New York State Department of Transportation officials joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week to announce that the agency had concluded work on all bridges included in the accelerated bridge improvement program, NY Works.
The $212 million NY Works program was created in the 2012-2013 state budget to “address bridge deck and structural replacement or rehabilitation” on 112 bridges across the state in an effort to improve the overall condition of the state’s transportation infrastructure and extend its service life. The final project in the 112-bridge program was a rehabilitation of the Western Gateway Bridge over the Mohawk River between Schenectady and Scotia. The $16.9 million project included replacement of the bridge deck, a reconfiguration of driving lanes and a shared-use lane for motorists and bicyclists, and a new multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists.
“With the opening of the Western Gateway Bridge in the Capital Region, I am pleased to announce that all 112 bridge projects under our NY Works program are complete and open to traffic,” said Cuomo in a statement. “Under NY Works, the state has made critical investments in New York’s transportation infrastructure that has saved taxpayer dollars, supported new economic opportunities and created jobs all across the state. In just two years, we have dramatically improved and built new bridges that will make it safer for commuters, tourists and commercial vehicles to travel through our state for years to come.”
NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald highlighted the merits of the program and hailed the fixes to the Western Gateway Bridge.
“Governor Cuomo’s NY Works program allowed us to improve safety and preserve roads and bridges for years to come,” McDonald said. “The Western Gateway Bridge is not only a key connector for motorists traveling between the city and Scotia, but the multi-modal enhancements we added will be an improvement for bicyclists and pedestrians as well.”
Additional information on the NY Works program is available here.
