The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded the New York State Thruway Authority a $21 million Federal Highway Administration Bridge Investment Program grant to restore the Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge on the New York State Thruway (I-90) Berkshire Spur.
The Berkshire Spur connects I-87 in Albany County to the Massachusetts state line. The one-mile-long bridge connects Albany and Rensselaer counties over the Hudson River. It opened to traffic in 1958 and carries approximately 6.2 million vehicles annually.
Funding will supplement the cost of replacing the eastbound bridge deck and addressing steel repairs and maintenance safety features. Replacement is expected to cost $44 million.
The current $47.6 million project involves replacing the westbound bridge deck, repairing the eastbound deck, and replacing the center median and bridge steel repairs.
The westbound bridge deck project began in 2021 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The eastbound bridge deck is scheduled to begin in 2024.
The Bridge Investment Program focuses on repairing, rehabilitating, or replacing existing bridges. The Thruway Authority applied for a grant in 2022.
The New York State Thruway is 570 miles long. It has three Welcome Centers, 27 service areas, 118 interchanges, and 815 bridges.