Thruway Authority Announces I-84 Closed in Both Directions Between Exits 6 & 21

ALBANY, NY (02/26/2010)(readMedia)-- The New York State Thruway Authority has announced that I-84 has been closed in both directions, eastbound and westbound, between Exit 6 (Montgomery, Newburgh, NY Route 17K) and Exit 21 (New Salem, Brewster, US Route 6, US Route 202, NY Route 121) due to severe weather conditions.

Exit 6 along I-84 is at milepost 34; Exit 21 along I-84 is at milepost 71. Motorists familiar with the area are encouraged to seek alternate routes.

New York State Police, local fire departments and emergency responders on snowmobiles and four-wheeled vehicles are checking on stranded motorists along I-84.

This portion of I-84 will be reopened as soon as weather conditions permit and winter weather crews can clear the roadway of snow making it safe for motorists.

In the event of an emergency, breakdown or minor accident, motorists are advised not to stop within or near travel lanes. If the vehicle can be driven, motorists should travel to the nearest exit or safe location. If the vehicle is inoperable, motorists should activate four-way flashers and stay inside the vehicle until authorized personnel arrive to provide assistance. In an event of an emergency, motorists are advised to call either 1-800-842-2233 or 911 to report the situation. Travelers should never walk along the roadway.

During inclement weather, motorists will be advised through electronic Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) along the roadway and the Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) stations. The HAR stations broadcast traffic advisories, road conditions, weather reports and safety tips to travelers 24 hours a day. Motorists can tune their vehicle radios to the following frequencies: New York City area and Tappan Zee Bridge Corridor – 530 AM; Newburgh, Kingston, Albany, Rochester and Buffalo areas – 1610 AM; the Utica area – 540 AM; Syracuse, Lafayette area and Geneva/Waterloo area – 1620 AM; and in the Ripley area – 98.7 FM.

Motorists may also receive up-to-date road condition information by calling toll-free 1-800-THRUWAY (1-800-847-8929) or logging onto www.nysthruway.gov .The Thruway's TDD/TTY number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-253-6244. Road conditions for highways across New York State, including the Thruway, can be found at www.511ny.org/.

Motorists can also find the latest forecasts by the National Weather Service for regions along the Thruway by logging onto the Thruway's website at www.nysthruway.gov/weather/.

Additionally, the Authority offers a free email service called TRANSalert to its customers to inform them of major unscheduled incidents that may affect their travel on the Thruway. For the most up-to-date information about unscheduled incidents affecting travel on the Thruway, motorists are encouraged to sign up for the TRANSalert service at the Authority's website at www.nysthruway.gov/tas/. Motorists are encouraged to check the alerts before they embark on their trip.

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