Thruway Authority Announces Woodbury Highway Speed E-ZPass Project

ALBANY, NY (03/02/2010)(readMedia)-- The New York State Thruway Authority today announced that the current phase of the Woodbury Highway Speed E-ZPass project will require temporary toll lane closures this Spring.

As part of Contract 2, from March 8 to May 2, 2010 (tentatively), five (5) lanes of the Woodbury toll plaza will be closed to traffic, demolished, and reconstructed with four (4) Highway Speed E-ZPass lanes. This time period was chosen because traffic volumes are lighter, resulting in a reduced impact to Thruway customers.

During construction, three (3) existing toll lanes will be open northbound. One of the northbound lanes will be a dedicated E-ZPass only lane; two of the northbound lanes will be established as mixed-mode lanes, meaning the lanes will be able to accommodate both cash and/or E-ZPass depending on the time of day and traffic volumes. To help facilitate traffic through the area during construction, an existing northbound toll lane to the far right of the Woodbury Toll Plaza will be opened for northbound traffic, as needed, during peak traffic periods. Currently, this toll lane is used only by customers traveling from Harriman to the Thruway northbound.

During this same period, six (6) lanes will be open southbound. The southbound lanes will accommodate dedicated E-ZPass, cash and mixed-mode customers.

At the conclusion of the construction, Highway Speed E-ZPass will be fully operational and available to both passenger and commercial customers. The remaining milling and paving work, striping, guide rail installation, drainage work and landscaping will then be completed. The overall project is scheduled for completion in Summer 2010.

For more information please visit the Woodbury Mobility Improvement Project website at: http://www.nysthruway.gov/projectsandstudies/projects/woodbury/index.html

The Authority is committed to providing high levels of safety and service to its users. Highway Speed E-ZPass is one such initiative that the Authority is implementing to fulfill this commitment.

The Thruway Authority appreciates patrons' patience while this essential project moves forward.

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