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New York state has finished a $5 million project to completely replace an Onondaga County bridge that runs above the New York State Thruway, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in a Tuesday press release.

Renovations to the Schepps Corners Road Bridge began in late March. During the construction, the state increased the vertical clearance of the structure and made other safety improvements.

Since 2020, bridges on the thruway’s 570-mile system have been struck 224 times, with 46 reported in 2024, Hochul’s release states. The new bridge features increased vertical clearance, from 14 feet five inches to 16 feet 11 inches, to reduce strikes from vehicles exceeding height limits.

Along with the increased vertical clearance, other steps — such as public awareness campaigns, more prominent signage and enhanced law enforcement presence — have been taken to reduce the number of bridge strikes on the thruway and increase safety for employees and motorists, according to the release.
“Investing in critical infrastructure is about investing in the safety and connectivity of our communities,” Hochul said in the release. “This bridge replacement will provide the people of Central New York with the high standards of quality they deserve.”

Other safety upgrades for the bridge replacement include wider shoulders, a new safety guide rail and an improved riding surface, the release states. The project also includes environmental improvements to prevent run-off and erosion in nearby wetlands.

Specifically, the state added stone gutters on each corner of the new bridge that will slow down runoff — filtering it away from the roadway — and installed erosion control mats that will absorb stormwater.

The replacement was part of a larger $2.4 billion project, the Thruway’s Capital Program, that will continue through the next five years. As part of the program, approximately 90 of the thruway’s 817 bridges will be upgraded, including re-paintings, joint replacements and vertical clearance improvements.

“The new Schepps Corners Road bridge over the Thruway will reduce dangerous and costly bridge strikes and keep Onondaga County communities safely connected,” Congressman-elect John Mannion said in the release.

The original Schepps Corner road bridge was built in 1953 and was one of multiple over-60-year-old bridges on the thruway that needed improvements, per Hochul’s initial March announcement. Roughly 2,600 vehicles per day use the bridge over the thruway, Tuesday’s release states.

Published on November 19, 2024 at 11:20 pm

Contact Henry: hdaley@syr.edu