NYSDOT Commissioner Highlights Four-Day Bridge Project

ALBANY, NY (08/05/2013)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald was in Westchester County today to highlight an innovative bridge renovation project that starts tomorrow and will be completed Saturday. The $1.5 million NY Works project will replace the deck of the Hutchinson River Parkway bridge over the Boston Post Road (U.S. Route 1) in the Village of Pelham Manor, Westchester County, using innovative construction methods to shrink the project's duration by months, minimize its traffic impacts and save money.

The four-day construction project is scheduled to begin Tuesday, August 6, and will be complete on Saturday, August 10. Drivers should plan alternate routes to avoid these roadways during this time. The project meets the goals of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Drivers First initiative to ensure that construction causes the least impact to motorists.

"Through Governor Cuomo's New York Works program, we are re-decking this bridge to extend its life, saving money on costly future repairs while using innovative techniques to get the work done quickly and keep motorists moving," Commissioner McDonald said. "Drivers should use alternate routes this week to avoid the construction and allow for extra travel time. We appreciate the public's patience while we fix an important bridge on one of the busiest highways in Westchester County. Doing the work in four days is a perfect example of Governor Cuomo's Drivers First initiative."

On average, 83,000 vehicles a day travel the four-lane Hutchinson River Parkway at the bridge.

During the construction, Boston Post Road will be closed to through traffic at its junction with the Hutchinson River Parkway. Traffic will be detoured onto Interstate 95 and Pelham Parkway. Hutchinson River Parkway traffic both northbound and southbound will be diverted through the Boston Post Road on and off ramps. The traffic pattern on Hutchinson River Parkway and Boston Post Road will return to usual by Saturday, August 10.

This is one of dozens of highway construction projects underway this summer to preserve New York's transportation infrastructure, create jobs and support the state's growing economy. This project is being done through a design-build contract. Governor Cuomo signed legislation in December 2011 allowing design-build to speed construction and save money. With this project, for example, NYSDOT outlined the project requirements, but allowed construction companies to maximize their unique skills and resources when bidding the project and planning its details.

The project contractor is Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors, Inc., based in Glenmont, Albany County and the design consultant is CHA Companies of Albany.

In order to minimize traffic impacts, construction is being significantly accelerated. The plan calls for the contractor's team to work around the clock for four consecutive days in order to complete the job quickly and improve safety for workers and the traveling public. The contractor will utilize customized, precast concrete slabs on the project, as well as ultra-high-performance concrete, which cures within hours compared to the 14 days it takes standard concrete. A traditional approach to the overall project would have cost more, taken several months to complete and created significant traffic delays.

"What in past years would have taken weeks, months or years to fix a bridge has now been reduced to days as New York State initiates design-build, fast-track delivery projects, saving taxpayer money while lessening congestion," said Ross Pepe, president of the New York Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley, Inc. "Governor Cuomo's new NY Works Program has proven highly successful throughout the state. Here in Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley region, where the highways and bridges are under constant pressure, it makes perfect sense for NYSDOT and contractors to use this initiative to improve conditions."

NY Works focuses on improving the condition of bridges, raising them from fair condition to good condition in order 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 project sites within close geographic locations into a single contract enables DOT to lower expenses and obtain lower bids.

It is imperative that motorists remember to drive carefully through this and the many other highway and bridge construction zones they will encounter during this construction season.

For additional information, visit the project web site www.dot.ny.gov/r8-bridges/hutch.

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 offer free, 24/7, statewide, real-time traffic and transit information for all of New York State. They also offer a transit trip planner and 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.

Follow New York State DOT on Twitter: @NYSDOT, and on Facebook at facebook.com/NYSDOT.