MID-HUDSON – The northbound lanes of the Thruway (I-87) from exit 17 in Newburgh to exit 18 in New Paltz will fully shut down to all traffic at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, for at least 12 hours so a portion of the damaged Brookside Road overpass in New Paltz can be safely removed over the northbound lanes, weather permitting. The Plattekill Service Area will be closed during this operation. Motorists should seek alternate routes while this work takes place or avoid travel in the area during these times, if possible.
Closed to traffic since May, the Brookside Road overpass has been hit by over-height vehicles nine times in 2023 and 27 times since 2019. These repeated collisions have resulted in considerable damage to the steel that supports the overpass and decreased the amount of weight it can safely carry. Following regular monitoring and multiple inspections, Thruway and consulting engineers have determined the overpass should be removed in the interest of public safety.
Built in 1954, the four-span continuous four-girder bridge carries Brookside Road (milepost 74.17) over the Thruway – one lane of traffic in each direction – in the town of New Paltz in Ulster County. It had a vertical clearance is 14.2 feet, which has been reduced to 14 feet due to the multiple bridge strikes in both directions, including one on October 30 when its girders above the northbound lanes was struck by a truck hauling a forklift.
To limit impacts to Thruway motorists, this work is scheduled to take place on Saturday night into Sunday morning when traffic volumes are at their lowest. As a result, all northbound lanes north of exit 17 (Newburgh – Scranton – I-84 – NY Routes 17K and 300) will close at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, and are expected to remain closed for at least 12 hours. The northbound Thruway is expected to reopen the next morning, with traffic reduced from two travel lanes to one travel lane through the construction zone.
All northbound traffic will be…
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