THRUWAY AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES WORK RESUMES ON $45 MILLION CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENT AND SAFETY ENHANCEMENT PROJECT

Work Shifts to Eastbound Lanes of Thruway with Full and Partial Depth Repairs and Vertical Clearance Improvements on Bridges

Project Scheduled to be Completed by End of Year

The New York State Thruway Authority today announced work has resumed on a $45 million pavement revitalization project on the New York State Thruway (I-90) in Chautauqua County. The project began in the westbound lanes in June 2024 and is now taking place on a 16-mile stretch eastbound between exit 60 (Westfield-Mayville-NY Route 394) and exit 59 (Dunkirk-Fredonia-NY Route 60).

"The Thruway is putting toll dollars to work, reinvesting toll revenue into rebuilding and modernizing the Thruway system," Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare, Esq. said. "We are committed to enhancing safety and reliability with these infrastructure investment projects, while providing some of the lowest toll rates in the nation."

The full scale of the project totals approximately 69 total lane miles and includes full and partial depth repairs to remove and replace deteriorated portions of the roadway as well as a new asphalt riding surface. Crews are also resurfacing the interchange ramps at exit 59 and exit 60 and all U-turns. Additionally, vertical clearance improvements will be made to the bridges in 16 locations to enhance safety and mitigate bridge strikes caused by overheight vehicles.

Other safety improvements include reflective line striping, new guiderail, pier protection and delineator markers.

All work is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Oakgrove Construction, Inc. from Elmira, NY is the project contractor.

Motorists can expect traffic to be reduced to one lane throughout the duration of the project. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone.

To further enhance safety in a work zone, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation establishing the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement pilot program. The safety enforcement program began in April 2023 and is in effect in various active construction zones on the Thruway. Work zones with speed camera enforcement will have clear signage leading up to it and motorists violating the posted speed limit within the work zone will be fined.

For up-to-date travel information, motorists are encouraged to download the Thruway Authority's mobile app, which is available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic and navigation assistance while on the go.

Travelers can also visit the Thruway Authority's interactive Traveler Map which features live traffic cameras. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert emails, which provide the latest traffic conditions on the Thruway.

About the Thruway Authority
The Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, built in the early 1950s, is one of the oldest components of the National Interstate Highway System and one of the longest toll roads in the nation. The Thruway Authority does not receive any dedicated federal, state or local tax dollars and is paid for by those who drive the Thruway, including one-third of drivers from out of state.

In 2024, the Thruway Authority processed more than 400 million transactions and motorists drove 8.2 billion miles on the Thruway. The Authority's approved 2025 Budget invests a total of $477.3 million in dedicated funding for capital projects across the Thruway system beginning in 2025, an increase of more than $33 million compared to the approved 2024 budget. The increased investment will lead to work on approximately 61 percent of the Thruway's more than 2,800 pavement lane miles as well as the replacement or rehabilitation of 20 percent of the Thruway's 819 bridges.

The Thruway is one of the safest roadways in the country with a fatality rate far below the nationwide index, and toll rates are among the lowest in the country compared to similar toll roads. The Thruway's base passenger vehicle toll rate is less than $0.05 per mile, compared to the Ohio Turnpike ($0.06 per mile), the New Jersey Turnpike (up to $0.39 per mile) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike ($0.16 per mile).

The lives of Thruway Authority employees, roadway workers and emergency personnel depend on all of those who travel the highway. Motorists should stay alert and pay attention while driving, slow down in work zones and move over when they see a vehicle on the side of the road. The state's Move Over Law, which was expanded in March 2024, requires drivers to slow down and move over for all vehicles stopped along the roadway. Safety is a shared responsibility.

For more information, follow the Thruway on Facebook, X and Instagram, or visit the Thruway website.

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