I-84 WESTBOUND IN PUTNAM COUNTY REOPENED TO TRAFFIC; BRIDGE REPLACEMENT COMPLETED

ALBANY, NY (09/22/2013)(readMedia)-- The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) today announced that the bridge carrying Interstate 84 westbound over Dingle Ridge Road in Southeast, Putnam County, has reopened to traffic.

The stretch of interstate between Exit 1 in Connecticut and Exit 20 in New York closed at 5 p.m. on Saturday as part of a $10.2 million bridge replacement project. During the closure, the old bridge was demolished and a new bridge, which was built adjacent to the existing structure, was slid into place.

A similar closure will occur October 19-20 so that the eastbound bridge can be demolished and replaced.

Dingle Ridge Road under I-84 will remain closed through Wednesday evening.

The project uses an innovative slide technique that allows NYSDOT to complete the project quickly, save money and greatly reduce traffic impacts. This new technique is saving taxpayers a minimum of $2 million by eliminating the need for construction of a temporary bridge to carry traffic during construction. It also is reducing the length of construction by at least one year, since both bridges are being built at the same time.

This section of I-84, which connects New York and Connecticut, is heavily traveled, with an average of nearly 75,000 vehicles using it each day.

More information about the project, including a time-lapse video, can be found at www.dot.ny.gov/NYI84CT.

For real-time travel information, please call 511 or visit www.511NY.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NYSDOT, and follow us on Twitter @NYSDOT and @NYSDOTHV.

###