About the Project:

The New York State Thruway Authority has undertaken a project to reconstruct 15 miles of Thruway pavement between Interchanges 39 (Syracuse, Fulton, I-690) and 40 (Weedsport, Auburn, Route 34) in Onondaga and Cayuga Counties.

The $128 million project, awarded in the Fall of 2008, to Cold Spring Construction Company of Akron, New York, is scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2011.

The project will include the complete reconstruction of two travel lanes in both directions, shoulder work, rehabilitation of four bridges, reconstruction and various safety improvements of ramps at Interchanges 39, 40 and the Warners Travel Plaza, installation of CCTV traffic monitoring cameras (used to assist the Authority in incident response and traffic management), in-pavement vehicle count stations, and weigh-in motion stations to detect truck loads, and the relocation of utilities.     

Project Schedule:

To mitigate traffic impacts during the project, construction is taking place in three, five-mile segments. Ten miles of eastbound travel lanes were reconstructed in 2009.  Work on the final five-mile eastbound segment will begin Thursday, March 25, 2010, weather permitting, when all eastbound traffic between mileposts 294.2 and 289.3 will be shifted to the westbound side of the system. Work on this segment is tentatively scheduled to be completed by mid-July 2010.

This will be the first of three planned segments of reconstruction in 2010. The second segment is tentatively scheduled to begin Wednesday, April 7, 2010, and will take place in both westbound lanes between mileposts 301.2 and 304.5. All westbound traffic will be shifted to the eastbound side of the system while work takes place through September 2010.

The third segment will take place in the westbound lanes between mileposts 289.3 and 294.8 and is tentatively scheduled to begin the week of July 26, 2010, and be completed in November 2010. As with the second segment, all westbound traffic will be shifted to the eastbound side of the system while work takes place. In all instances, two lanes in both directions will continue to be open a majority of the time.

*Schedule Subject to Change: Construction Weather Dependent

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Newsroom:

View Press releases and public outreach materials.

Traffic Management & Incident Response:

The Authority has worked closely with the New York State Department of Transportation and local emergency service providers to develop an extensive incident management plan.  Additionally, the Authority will utilize a variety of strategies to manage traffic flow during construction; however, to avoid traffic delays, Thruway travelers and commercial traffic are strongly encouraged to travel during off peak hours and allow extra travel time during this period.

Motorists will be informed about the project via electronic Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) placed along the highway and by Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) broadcasts on 1610 AM in the Rochester area, 1620 AM in the Syracuse, Waterloo/Geneva areas, and 540 AM in the Utica area; the Authority will also send frequent project updates, complete with pertinent lane closure information, to the media. 

Thruway motorists may also receive the latest project lane closure information by calling 1-800-THRUWAY (800-847-8929).

The Thruway Authority offers free service (TRANSalert) to its customers to inform them of major unscheduled incidents that may affect their travel on the Thruway. TRANSalerts can be received via email or text messaging, and provide subscribers with an incident’s specific location enabling them to better plan their trips on the Thruway. Motorists planning to travel through this construction area are encouraged to sign up for this free service.

Additional State Police Troop T members will be stationed within the active work zone to enforce the vehicle and traffic laws to ensure the safety of motorists and construction workers alike. 

Environmental Considerations:

Working closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Environmental Protection Agency, this project will also take important steps to protect the environment from construction impacts.

To mitigate for any wetlands that will be affected during the construction, the project also includes the creation of at least 11 acres of wetlands.  Additional environmental protection measures include; soil and erosion control, the prevention of the introduction of invasive plant species in wetlands, the avoidance of impacts to endangered species, and landscaping, such as planting trees at interchanges and other selected areas throughout the 15-mile corridor. 

Contact Us:

Please use the online form in the "About Us: Contacting the Thruway" section of this Website to provide your comments and feedback.