For immediate release: June 12, 2015
CONSTRUCTION STARTING ON NOISE BARRIERS ALONG SOUTHBOUND NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY (I-87/I-287) IN SOUTH NYACK
After months of preparation, crews will begin installing foundations for noise barriers along the southbound New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) between the South Broadway bridge and River Road. The work will involve drilling holes into the soil to install the foundations. After the foundations are installed, concrete panels that form the noise barriers will be installed. The barriers will be treated with sound-absorbing material to further reduce traffic noise to the nearby community.
Continued Overnight Triple-Lane Closures of Southbound Thruway
Weekday overnight triple-lane closures of the southbound Thruway will occur from Monday night, June 15 through Saturday morning, June 20. Closures will start at 8 p.m. with the closing of one lane near exit 11 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W) to the Tappan Zee Bridge, followed by a second lane at 9 p.m. and a third at 11 p.m. All lanes will reopen by 6 a.m. the following weekday. The closures on Friday, June 19 will start with a single lane at 9 p.m., a second lane at 11 p.m. and a third at 11:59 p.m. All lanes will reopen by 8 a.m., Saturday, June 20.
Triple-lane closures of the southbound Thruway in the same area also are planned for the overnight of Saturday, June 13, with a single lane closing at 7 p.m., followed by a second lane at 11 p.m. and a third at 1 a.m., Sunday, June 14. All lanes will reopen by 11 a.m., Sunday, June 14.
All planned work is subject to postponement due to weather conditions.
Single-Lane Closures of Northbound Thruway During Morning Commuting Periods on June 18 and 19
Single-lane closures of the northbound Thruway will occur on Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19. The closures will start at 5 a.m. near the Tappan Zee Bridge to exit 11 (Nyack – South Nyack – US Route 9W). The lane will reopen by 2 p.m. both days.
River Road in South Nyack
River Road utility work will continue during the week of June 15. The work may require reducing River Road to one lane at times. TZC flag persons will direct traffic as needed and additional signage as well as other safety measures will be in place.
Foundation Work on the New Bridge
Marine crews are continuing work on bridge foundations next week by placing reinforcing steel and concrete in the piles, main span pile caps and approach span pile caps. The high-strength concrete is made on site by the projects floating batch plants. Teams also will erect formwork for the cast-in-place pier columns, which eventually will support the new bridges road deck.
Crews also will continue working on the bridges landings at the Rockland and Westchester shorelines. The abutments, comprised of steel and concrete, will serve as strong bases where the new crossing meets the landside roadway.
Construction of pier 1 located near River Road in South Nyack will continue with the installation of sheet piles. The sheet piles support the surrounding soil while the foundation for the new bridge pier is constructed. Pile driving is restricted to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and noon to 7 p.m., Saturday. TZC is implementing noise-reducing measures, including sound-absorptive temporary noise barriers, to protect nearby residents. The projects environmental compliance team will be on site to monitor noise levels during the operation.
Additionally, TZC will continue concrete placement for bridge foundations near the South Nyack shoreline. The concrete for this work is being acquired from local concrete suppliers and is delivered by truck to the Rockland trestle located off the Thruways southbound access ramp. Trucks exit the trestle to the Thruway via the northbound access ramp. The access ramps are used only by construction vehicles, providing a safe route directly to the work site and reducing traffic impacts on local roads.
Additional work includes:
- Pile cap foundation construction
- Main span foundation construction
- Landing abutment concrete work
- Support for river-based work from the Rockland trestle
- Survey inspections on the existing bridge
- Westchester Landings utility work
Boater Safety
During the summer months, Westchester and Rockland Marine Units will add extra patrols to monitor the construction zone and encourage all boaters to obey the established U.S. Coast Guard safety protocols.
The U.S. Coast Guard has established a Safety Zone surrounding 16 construction barge mooring locations at the project site. No unauthorized vessels are allowed in the Safety Zone. In addition, marine law enforcement will be enforcing the rules of the expanded Regulated Navigation Areas (RNAs) east and west of the Safety Zone. The RNAs stretch 500 yards north and 500 yards south of the existing bridge. Boaters are urged to transit the main channel with no wake at a maximum speed of 5 knots and to use extreme caution on the river at all times.
More New NY Bridge boater safety information, including the U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners and construction site maps, can be found here at NewNYBridge.com. An interactive map showing vessel locations on the Hudson River is also available here for recreational and commercial boaters to get updated information on the very active construction zone. The GPS tracking map is for informational purposes and not intended for navigation.
Mariners also should be aware that TZC will continue work in the vicinity of the side channels under the existing bridge. Additional temporary navigational lights have been installed to further define the 600-foot navigation channel under the main span. Permanent elements of the new bridge are lit per U.S. Coast Guard requirements, as are all moorings, barges and other equipment.
All lane closures are subject to change due to traffic, weather or emergency situations. Please visit http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/ for real-time information regarding traffic conditions.