State DOT Commissioner Hosts Taconic Parkway Project Public Meeting

ALBANY, NY (03/09/2012)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald hosted a public information meeting this evening regarding an upcoming construction project that will rehabilitate the northbound Taconic State Parkway bridge over the New Croton Reservoir, locally known as the AMVET bridge, in New Castle and Yorktown. The meeting was held in the Jefferson Valley Mall Community Room in Yorktown Heights, Westchester County, beginning at 7 p.m.

"Rehabilitating this bridge will improve safety for the thousands of travelers that use the Taconic State Parkway each day," Commissioner McDonald said. "By using alternate routes and allowing extra travel time, drivers can continue to efficiently manage trips during the necessary bridge closure."

The construction contractor for the $26 million project is Tutor Perini Corporation of New Rochelle, Westchester County. The project includes replacing steel hangers, deck supports, concrete decking and railing; installing new guide rail; and resurfacing the roadway on each end of bridge. Construction requires temporarily closing the bridge from March 26 to November 2012.

The section of the parkway that crosses over the reservoir is a six-lane divided highway, with separate bridge spans carrying the north and southbound lanes over the water. The northbound bridge, built in 1931 and rehabilitated in 1989, carries more than 32,000 vehicles per day. During the closure, northbound traffic will be re-routed onto the southbound span, with two travel lanes in each direction. The nearly four-mile lane reduction will be installed between Pines Bridge Road in the town of New Castle and Underhill Avenue in the town of Yorktown.

To reduce travel inconvenience and enhance safety, NYSDOT is installing new traffic sensors and cameras and portable message signs. The Department also is constructing median barrier gates and pull off areas for use in emergencies, and has fabricated signage for alternate emergency routes. NYSDOT has required that tow truck service be on-site during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods.

Those wishing to bypass the work site can use alternate state routes including Underhill Avenue, Route 129 (Croton Lake Road), Route 100 (Saw Mill River Road), Route 118 (Saw Mill River Road), and Route 134 (Kitchawan Road). To help mitigate traffic on these roads, five temporary traffic signals are being installed at the following locations: southbound Taconic State Parkway ramp at Underhill Avenue, Route 129 (Croton Lake Road) at Underhill Avenue, Route 129 (Croton Lake Road) at Route 118 (Saw Mill River Road), Route 100 (Saw Mill River Road) at Route 134 (Kitchawan Road), and at the temporary northbound Taconic State Parkway ramp at Pines Bridge Road. Major alternate routes include Routes 9 and 9A to the west of the project and the Saw Mill River Parkway and Interstate 684 to the east of the project.

For real-time travel information, call 511 or visit www.511NY.org. Project information is also available at https://www.dot.ny.gov/tspnewcroton.

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