NY Works Bridge Construction Begins In Oneida County

ALBANY, NY (06/18/2012)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald today announced that construction is beginning on a $17.4 million contract to replace 13 bridge decks in Oneida, Onondaga and Cayuga counties through Governor Andrew Cuomo's NY Works program.

"Governor Cuomo's NY Works program speeds up our bridge and highway reconstruction efforts and puts people back to work," Commissioner McDonald said. "The traveling public will see nearly twice as much highway work than just last year. We ask motorists to be patient and drive carefully through construction zones."

Today's announcement marks the start of the second NY Works transportation improvement project only two months after Governor Cuomo signed the 2012-2013 Budget allowing funding for these projects to move forward.

NY Works focuses on improving the condition of bridges from fair to good to extend their service life. This rehabilitation work will better preserve the state's infrastructure and guard against the need for more costly, in-depth construction. Bundling projects within close geographic locations into a single contract enables DOT to lower expenses and obtain lower bids.

Construction contractor Slate Hill Constructors of Warners, Onondaga County, today began work to replace the southbound bridge deck of State Route 8 over the New York Susquehanna and Western Railroad in the Town of New Hartford, Oneida County.

Route 8 will remain open during the duration of the deck replacement. Southbound traffic will shift onto the northbound deck, with one lane of traffic running in each direction on the northbound bridge.

The Mill Street ramp onto southbound Route 8 will be closed during construction. Motorists should follow a signed detour to the Route 8 southbound ramp off of Campion Road, which is north of the Mill Street ramp. Work should be completed and the Mill Street ramp reopened to traffic later this summer.

Additional bridge deck replacements will begin this summer as part of this NY Works contract:

· The northbound Route 8 bridge deck over the NY Susquehanna & Western Railroad at the aforementioned location in the Town of New Hartford, Oneida County. Work to replace the northbound deck span will begin upon completion of the southbound bridge deck job. Traffic will encounter a similar lane shift during construction, with northbound traffic shifting to share the regular southbound deck.

· The bridge deck on Route 8 over the NY Susquehanna and Western Railroad in the Town of Paris, Oneida County. This project is expected to begin during the first week of July. Route 8 traffic in both directions will be detoured around the project onto Pinnacle Road and Oneida Street for up to eight weeks. Work should be completed and this bridge reopened to traffic before Sept. 5 to minimize impacts to school bus routes.

· Bridge decks on the separate eastbound and westbound bridges carrying Interstate 690 over Crouse Avenue, east of downtown Syracuse, Onondaga County. Interstate 690 is the main east-west route through the City of Syracuse, serving local commuters and large trucks. Its connection with I-81 allows access northbound to Canada and southbound to Pennsylvania and beyond. Traffic averages over 100,000 vehicles per day.

· The eastbound and westbound I-690 bridges over Peat Street, also east of downtown Syracuse, Onondaga County. Precast deck panels will be installed on the three I-690 bridges over separate four-day periods, requiring traffic to be detoured onto city streets, including Erie Boulevard. Work is expected to start at 9 a.m. on Friday and be completed by noon the following Monday for each of these jobs, with specific dates to be determined.

· The bridge deck on West Adams Street over Onondaga Creek in Syracuse, Onondaga County. The West Adams Street deck replacement project will require a three-month detour onto city streets - West Onondaga Street and South Clinton Street. Work is expected to begin this month. West Adams Street is an important arterial link between the western portion of the City of Syracuse and the Syracuse University and hospital areas, with traffic of approximately 15,000 vehicles per day. · The deck for the Route 31 bridge over Putnam Brook in the Town of Brutus, Cayuga County, will be replaced. Precast panels will be installed with traffic detoured over a three-day period. This project is expected to be completed this construction season.

The contract also includes the following bridge deck replacements, which will occur next year:

· The concrete bridge deck on the Interstate 81 bridges over east Calthrop Avenue in the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, will be replaced using precast panels. Construction in both directions will be done over separate 10-day periods with full bridge closures, requiring off-site detours using Route 11 and other city streets.

· The deck on the northbound and southbound I-81 bridges over East Castle Street in the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, will be replaced with precast panels. Work will be done concurrently with the Calthrop Avenue job.

· Three bridges that form the interchange of Routes 26, 69 and 365 in the City of Rome, Oneida County, will be replaced. All three multi-span steel girder structures will be replaced, maintaining an important mobility link between the cities of Rome, Utica and Oneida. The bridges are:

Ø Route 26 over Route 365, in the City of Rome, Oneida County

Ø Route 69 over Route 26, in the City of Rome, Oneida County

Ø Route 69 over Route 365, in the City of Rome, Oneida County

Motorists may encounter flaggers directing traffic and should expect travel delays. It is imperative that motorists remember to drive carefully through the many highway and bridge construction zones they will encounter.

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