70 Year Old Sagging Overpass Demolition on New York State Thruway

It has been hard to keep up with all of the road work and closures this winter. The amount of storms blowing through has caused some plans to be changed.

The four back-to-back winter storms in less than 2 weeks have challenged traveling throughout the Hudson Valley. It seems like weather, police activity or a bad accident has caused some closure or restriction daily on the New York State Thruway. Even the closures we expected got shifted around.

Northside Half of Brookside Road Overpass is Now Gone in New Paltz, New York

Fortunately, one expected closure did happen this past weekend and it appears that if all goes to plan the second half of that project will happen as scheduled later this week. The demolition of the Brookside Road overpass between Newburgh and New Paltz is expected to continue.

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This past Saturday the NYS Thruway Authority closed the northbound lanes of I-87 to remove part of an overpass that had become dangerous to motorists. The overpass itself built in 1954, had been closed since May of 2023 when it was deemed unsafe to travel over.

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.  (Via NYS Thruway Authority Notice 1-10-2024)

 

SEE Also: Things to Do in New Paltz New York

In the months that followed it was determined that the Brookside Road Overpass continued to be a hazard due to its failing infrastructure. Vehicles striking the overpass had increased due to the overpass most likely losing height.

The NYS Thruway closed the northbound lanes between exits 17 and 18 last Saturday and removed half of the overpass. Originally, the work was scheduled for January 6th, but Winter Storm Ember put those plans to a halt.

When Will the Southside of Brookside Road Overpass be Removed from I-87

Now that one-half of the overpass has been removed the NYS Thruway authority will be looking to remove the Southbound side as early as this weekend. According to a notice issued on January 10, 2024, the second half of the demolition is scheduled for this Weekend.

If it happens, motorists can expect to face the same detour setup when the northbound lanes are closed. Motorists would exit in New Paltz, New York, exit 18, then travel East on Route 299 to then take 9W South to State Route 84 West, which leads back to I-87 to continue traveling south.

Official word has not been issued yet, but if you plan to be in the area you will want to keep your eye on it.

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