ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Woodbury Toll Barrier, located on the Thruway mainline at milepost 45.03 in Orange County, is the southern gateway to the Thruway’s ticketed system and also serves as the gateway to the Catskills and upstate New York.  With approximately 16 million vehicles passing through annually, it is one of the busier toll plazas on the Thruway System.  The Woodbury Toll Barrier currently has 15 toll lanes. At present there are 6 lanes (3 entering northbound and 3 exiting southbound) which can be dedicated to E-ZPass only transactions. The remaining 9 lanes operate in “mixed mode” processing both cash and E-ZPass transactions. All lanes are equipped with E-ZPass equipment for electronic toll collection. 

As the Authority works to provide Highway Speed E-ZPass (65 mph) to its customers in the Spring of 2010, traffic patterns within, and approaching, the Toll Plaza will change.  For example, in the Spring of 2010, for an eight-week period, five (5) lanes of the Woodbury Toll Plaza will be completely closed to traffic, during which time demolition of the existing lanes and reconstruction of the four (4) Highway Speed E-ZPass lanes will take place.

Click for larger image

Historically, on average, traffic has grown at a rate of 2.3 percent annually in the Woodbury area. Therefore, the introduction of Highway Speed E-ZPass lanes will improve traffic flow through the barrier and benefit the majority of the travelers utilizing the barrier.

Ever-changing traffic volumes Thruway-wide necessitate the constant evaluation of the placement of cash and E-ZPass lanes within toll collection areas. When possible, additional staffed and dedicated E-ZPass lanes have been added; however, traffic demands at the existing Barriers continue to grow. Additionally, the Woodbury Barrier is within close proximity to Interchange 16 (Harriman), which places expansion constraints on the existing barrier and its ability to meet future traffic demands. Because of these constraints, the Authority has looked to advances in technology to provide the necessary innovative solutions.