Thruway To Spend $9.7M To Improve Portion Of I-87

MID-HUDSON VALLEY, NY — A pavement improvement project on the New York State Thruway spanning Orange and Ulster counties is set to begin.

The New York State Thruway Authority announced Tuesday the start of a $9.7 million project that will cover nearly 8 miles between interchange 17 (Newburgh-Scranton-Interstate 87-NY Routes 17K and 300) in the city of Newburgh in Orange County to the town of Plattekill in Ulster County.

About 42,000 vehicles use this stretch of road each day, officials said.

Thruway Authority Interim Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said the work is part of the ongoing commitment to improve the driving experience for those who use the 570-mile Thruway system.

“This project will help ensure a smoother ride for the tens of thousands of motorists who travel this section of Thruway each day,” he said.

Officials said the project will begin with full-depth pavement repairs, meaning crews will remove and replace the most deteriorated portions on the nearly 8-mile portion of the roadway — from milepost 60.1 to 63 northbound and milepost 60.1 to 68 southbound.

The repairs will improve the new roadway’s structural integrity over about 22 total lane miles.

Crews will also address less stressed areas of the roadway by grinding down the asphalt and filling in any ruts to level off the roadway surface. The installation of the asphalt overlay is the last step in providing a smoother riding surface, according to experts.

Safety improvements will include new guiderail, additional reflective line striping and upgrades to acceleration and decelerations lanes at interchange 17.

The majority of repairs and paving operations will occur overnight to reduce impacts to motorists.

All work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Motorists may encounter lane closures on the highway along with traffic shifts and stoppages while construction is underway. All work is weather dependent and subject to change, the Thruway Authority said.