New York Construction Report staff writer
The Schepps Corners Road bridge in the Town of Manlius will be replaced with a $5 million structure featuring numerous safety upgrades and an increased vertical clearance.
Construction is now underway on the $5 million project. Slate Hill Constructors of Warners, NY is the project contractor following a competitive bidding process. Construction is expected to be complete in Fall 2024.
The former bridge is original to the Thruway system and was built in 1953. The bridge carries Schepps Corners Road over the NYS Thruway (I-90) and is one of dozens more than 60 years old on the Thruway that need to be replaced. Approximately 2,600 vehicles per day travel over the bridge.
“The Thruway is reinvesting hundreds of millions of toll dollars into upgrading an almost 70-year-old Thruway system,” said Thruway Authority Acting Executive Director Frank G. Hoare. “The replacement of the Schepps Corners Road bridge is one of the dozens of projects taking place this year to modernize our transportation infrastructure which will allow the Thruway to remain one of the safest and most reliable superhighways in the nation.”
The existing structure will be replaced with a new bridge featuring increased vertical clearance from 14’5” to 16’11”, wider shoulders, new safety guiderail and an improved riding surface. The project also includes environmental improvements in run-off and erosion protection to benefit nearby wetlands such as adding stone gutters on each corner of the new bridge that will slow down run off and filter it away from the roadway. An erosion control mat will be installed on all embankments, establishing new grasslands that will absorb stormwater and reduce runoff.
The Automated Work Zone Speed Monitoring pilot program was established by legislation signed by Governor Kathy Hochul. The safety enforcement program began in 2023 and will be in effect in various construction zones on the Thruway. Work zones with speed enforcement will have clear signage leading up to the work zone. Motorists violating the posted speed limit within the work zone will be fined. Violation fines will be issued to the vehicle’s registered owner by mail.
Overall, $2.4 billion will be invested over the next five years into the Thruway’s Capital Program, a $500 million increase compared to the 2023 Budget. The increased investment will lead to work on approximately half of the Thruway’s more than 2,800 lane miles as well as projects on approximately 90 of Thruway’s 817 bridges. Bridge work will include replacements, rehabs, paintings, joint replacements, vertical clearance improvements, etc.
