Project Description:
 The New York State Thruway Authority completed a Corridor Needs Assessment
in the Albany area on the New York State Thruway. The study area extends
from Interchange 21A (milepost 134) in the Town of Bethlehem, Albany County,
to Interchange 25A (milepost 159) in the Town of Rotterdam, Schenectady
County. The purpose of the study was to identify improvements to accommodate
transportation needs and develop a 20-year prioritized plan for transportation
infrastructure and capital improvements on the Thruway Corridor through
the Capital District.
Concepts Developed:
The concepts shown are improvement concepts developed and retained
for further consideration to meet the future capacity needs of the
toll plazas and ramps at Interchanges 23, 24 and 25. There are currently
delays at Interchanges 24 and 25 where the volume exceeds capacity.
The projected toll plaza volumes are anticipated to exceed capacity
by the year 2024 at Interchanges 23 through 25A. All of the concepts
shown provide adequate capacity at Interchanges 23 through 25 to
meet the projected traffic volumes through the design year of 2024.
Note that no concepts are shown for Interchanges 25A because capacity
improvements at Interchange 25A consist of providing an additional
toll lane in the exiting direction, which can be completed within
the existing right-of-way and without major ramp reconstruction.
The concepts developed for each interchange were evaluated to identify
engineering issues, right-of-way acquisition needs, and environmental concerns.
A total of twenty-nine (29) concepts were developed for Interchange 23,
fifteen (15) concepts for Interchange 24, and fifteen (15) concepts for
Interchange 25. Many of the concepts developed were dismissed for the following
reasons:
- Required extensive acquisition of developed properties
- Required extensive reconstruction of non-Thruway facilities
- Created traffic operation issues on non-Thruway facilities
- Required
significant acquisition of ROW from the Albany Pine Bush Preserve
- Created extensive impacts to the Albany Landfill Rapp Road Facility
The remaining concepts were developed in more detail to determine feasibility
and identify engineering, legal, financial, and environmental issues.
Two mainline barrier concepts are also shown. The mainline barrier
concepts would eliminate all or part of the toll plazas at the interchanges.
The mainline barrier concepts should be compared to making improvements
at Interchange 23, 24 and 25 together. Interchange improvements concepts
were developed to address capacity needs at each of the interchanges
separately, while mainline barrier concepts were developed to address
capacity needs for all of the interchanges within the study area. In
order to address future capacity needs, either the interchanges could
be reconstructed or the mainline barriers could be constructed.
In addition to the interchange and mainline barrier concepts, tandem
lot relocation concepts were developed as part of the Albany Corridor
Study.
The concepts include the following:
Interchange 23:
Both concepts would move the toll plaza to the south side of the Thruway
and make a direct connection between I-787 and the Thruway toll plaza.
Concept J1 - The interchange between I-787 and Route 9W would be reconstructed
as a single point urban interchange, where all of the ramps meet at one,
signalized intersection.
Concept J3 - The interchange between I-787 and Route 9W would be reconstructed
more closely to the existing configuration.
Interchange 24:
All four concepts would expand the toll plaza and move the Thruway ramps
further west.
Concept C - The Thruway ramps would be moved west of Rapp Road.
Concept H (Exit 1 Flyover) -Two E-ZPass ramps would provide connections
between the northbound and southbound directions of the Thruway and Northway.
The northbound E-ZPass ramp would exit the Thruway north of Washington
Avenue Extension.
Concept J (Exit 1 and Western Avenue Flyover) - Three E-ZPass ramps would
provide connections between the northbound and southbound directions of
the Thruway and Northway, the Northway southbound and the Thruway westbound,
and the Thruway eastbound and the Northway northbound. The northbound E-ZPass
ramp would exit the Thruway north of Schoolhouse Road.
Concept K (Western Avenue Flyover) - Two E-ZPass ramps would provide connections
between the northbound and southbound directions of the Thruway and Northway.
The northbound E-ZPass ramp would exit the Thruway north of Schoolhouse
Road.
Interchange 25:
All five concepts would expand the toll plaza.
Concept F - Split toll plazas would separate traffic entering and exiting
the Thruway. The Thruway ramps on the south side of the Thruway would be
relocated to the west. A partial diamond interchange would provide access
to Curry Road.
Concept G - Split toll plazas would separate traffic entering and exiting
the Thruway. The new toll plazas would be located north of the existing
toll plaza, and new loop ramps would provide access to Curry Road.
Concept H - The toll plaza would be moved north of the existing toll plaza.
New loops ramps would provide access to Curry Road.
Concept J - Split toll plazas would separate traffic entering and exiting
the Thruway. A diamond interchange located north of Curry Road would connect
Curry Road and I-890.
Concept K - Split toll plazas would separate traffic entering and exiting
the Thruway. The Thruway ramps on the south side of the Thruway would be
relocated to the west.
Mainline Barrier Concepts:
Both concepts replace all or part of the existing toll plazas at Interchanges
23, 24, 25 and 25A.
Two Barrier Concept - Two mainline barriers and toll plazas on the
Interchange 23 SB exit ramp and Interchange 25 WB exit ramp would
replace the existing Interchange 23, 24, 25, and 25A toll plazas.
Four Barrier Concept - Four mainline barriers would replace the existing
Interchange 23, 24, 25, and 25A toll plazas.
The following issues apply to the Mainline Barrier Concepts only:
- Some tolls in the Albany Corridor may need to be adjusted to compensate
for diversions. The Authority’s Bond Consultant will investigate
this.
- The Barrier Concepts are not consistent with the Thruway Bond Resolution.
The Resolution is a binding contract between the Thruway Authority
and the purchasers of its bonds and cannot be amended without the consent
of a majority of the bondholders and approval of the Thruway Board.
- Federal
Legislation would be required to address the toll-free access to
I-88.
Tandem Lot Concepts:
All concepts provide 8 or more acres of parking area for tandem trailers.
MP 139 Concept - The proposed 11.0 acre tandem lot would be located on
the northbound side of the Thruway between Wemple Road and Glenmont Road.
Access to the tandem lot would be provided by a new diamond interchange.
MP 143 Concept A - The proposed 8.8 acre tandem lot would be located on
the southbound side of the Thruway west of Delaware Avenue. Access to the
tandem lot would be provided by a new diamond interchange.
Port of Albany Concept A - The proposed 14.8 acre tandem lot would be
located in the Port of Albany. Access between the Thruway and the tandem
lot would be provided by new ramps to and from the I-787 mainline.
Port of Albany Concept C – The proposed 14.8 acre tandem lot would be located in the Port of Albany. Access between the Thruway and the tandem lot would be provided via Church Street and the existing I-787 ramps.
The following issues apply to the Port of Albany Concepts only:
- Federal and State Legislation would be required to allow tandem trailers
to travel on non-Thruway roadways.
|
