Major Road Work on NYS Thruway to Cause Delays Through Fall 2024

Over 40,000 commuters are being warned to brace themselves for major construction on the New York State Thruway that will last through the fall.

People who live in New York City have no idea just how painful it is to commute upstate. We don't have subways, bus service is spotty at best and trying to take an Uber from one county to the next can be cost prohibitive.

Hudson Valley commuters have no choice but to sit in their cars and take that long journey back and forth to work each and every day. The drive can add up to losing days of your life each month, so you can imagine just how stressful it can be when your normal route becomes a long-term construction zone.

Road Work Nightmares in the Hudson Valley

Daily commuters in the Hudson Valley remember the decades-long nightmare of construction on the Newburgh Beacon Bridge. In 2012, work began on the eastbound span. Lane closures, traffic pattern changes and major delays plagued drives for three years until the project was officially declared finished in 2015. F

Five years later, road work began again on the westbound span of the Newburgh Beacon Bridge. In the fall of 2020, crews began a two-year redecking project that snarled traffic in both directions every day.

New York State Thruway Project to Cost Over $21 Million

On Tuesday, Governor Hochul announced the beginning of a $21.3 infrastructure project that will affect Hudson Valley commuters who travel on the New York State Thruway.

The project will make in-depth repairs to 15.5 miles of I-87 in Ulster and Greene Counties. Stretches of the Thruway will be completely torn up and replaced, while others will see just certain areas replaced. The parking area at mile marker 103.1 will be completely repaved as well as the Malden Service Area and its on and off ramps. There will also be new guide rails, upgraded line striping with new reflective technology, a reconfiguration of the U-turn area and other enhancements to the shoulders and surrounding land.

When the job is finished, the entire section of the highway will be completely repaved in both directions between exits 19 and 20.

New York State Thruway Construction to Affect 40,000 Hudson Valley Commuters

The massive construction project will affect the 40,000 commuters that travel the New York State Thruway in Ulster and Greene Counties each day. Work has already begun and is expected to result in lane closures, traffic pattern disruptions and road closures throughout the summer.

Speed limits will be significantly lowered in these areas during the length of the project and the DMV will be moving around automated ticket cameras to catch speeders.

READ MORE: NY Thruway Signs Used to Be Blue; Here's The Weird Reason Why

Governor Hochul says that this project is just the beginning. The state has invested $2.4 billion into projects that will pay for improvements to over half of the New York State Thruway's 2,800 miles of roadways and 90 bridges over the next five years.