Capital District NY Works Bridge Projects Completed

ALBANY, NY (11/05/2012)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald today announced the completion of three bridge deck replacement projects, all part of a $19.9 million contract funded through Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's NY Works program. The bridges include the structures carrying Washington Avenue over Interstate 90 in Rensselaer; Interstate 90 eastbound and westbound over Kraft Road in the town of Schodack; and Route 22 over Dill Brook in Petersburgh, all in Rensselaer County.

"From small, simple structures, to large, complex structures, bridges are essential for communities to maintain a high-quality of life and for businesses to thrive," Commissioner McDonald said. "Through the NY Works program, Governor Cuomo has made bridges in the Capital District safer for motorists, while creating jobs locally."

A bridge deck replacement project on the structure carrying Route 22 over East Creek in Stephentown, Rensselaer County, was completed earlier this fall.

In addition to the bridges that have been completed, work continues to replace the deck on the Congress Street Bridge carrying Route 2 over Interstate 787 and the Hudson River between Watervliet and Troy in Albany and Rensselaer counties. Work on the portion of bridge over I-787 began in July and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Work on the portion of bridge over the Hudson River will take place next year.

As part of the contract, decks will be replaced next year on the following bridges:

· Route 23 over Sutton Hollow Creek in Ashland, Greene County

· Route 162 over railroad tracks in Root, Montgomery County

· Route 20 over Fly Creek in Esperance, Schoharie County

· Route 20 over Wyomanock Creek in New Lebanon, Columbia County

· Route 23B over Claverack Creek in Claverack, Columbia County

NY Works focuses on improving bridges that are in fair condition and bringing their condition to good. This preventive maintenance work better preserves the state's infrastructure and helps guard against the need for more costly, in-depth construction. Bundling project sites within close geographic locations into a single contract enables DOT to lower expenses and obtain lowerbids.

Construction contractor for the projects is Bette & Cring of Latham, Albany County. Work began on the bridges early this summer.

For real-time travel information, call 511 or visit www.511NY.org. 511NY is New York State's official traffic and travel information source. The 511NY site and mobile app provides free, 24/7, statewide real-time traffic and transit information for all of New York State. It also offers a transit trip planner, camera views, as well as weather alerts and forecasts. New features available at the site - www.511ny.org - include additional mobile app features, border crossing times, new notifications on the home page, and an interface that is easier to navigate.

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