New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the completion of a major rehabilitation project that addressed seven bridges along the Grand Central Parkway in Queens.
The $161 million project is part of the $34.5 billion investment by the state into the state’s transportation infrastructure. The bridges, located between Union Turnpike and Commonwealth Boulevard in Queens, saw new concrete decks, barriers, structural steel repairs and other upgrades. Officials said the project will reduce long-term maintenance costs, enhance safety and extend the service lives of the bridges.
“New Yorkers expect and deserve a robust transportation network that they can depend on to carry New York State into the future,” Hochul said. “For nearly a century, the Grand Central Parkway has served as one of New York City’s most vital travel corridors and this rehabilitation safely preserves these parkway bridges for decades to come.”
Officials said the corridor handles an estimated 300,000 vehicles a day. The bridges, which were built in the 1970s, will have their service life extended for another 40 years due to the rehabilitation, according to the New York State Department of Transportation which performed the project work.
“The Grand Central Parkway Seven Bridges Project demonstrates Governor Hochul’s steadfast commitment to investing in critical transportation infrastructure projects in New York City,” New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said. “This innovative rehabilitation project will benefit generations of New Yorkers and reflects our deep commitment to keeping our communities seamlessly connected through reliable and resilient infrastructure.”
The concrete bridge decks, pedestals and steel bearings were replaced on the bridges carrying the Grand Central Parkway over Winchester Boulevard and Cross Island Parkway, Vanderbilt Parkway and the ramp from northbound Cross Island Parkway to westbound Grand Central Parkway. Repairs were also made to the structural steel beams and the concrete on both the pier columns and abutments, officials said. The remaining four bridges were upgraded to improve their overall condition.
“Federal investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Law helped rehabilitate seven bridges along Grand Central Parkway in Queens, reducing maintenance costs in the long-term, enhancing safety, and supporting the longevity of the bridges along this critical route,” U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. “I’m proud to support the federal funding to make projects like this a reality, creating jobs and boosting the economy while upgrading our infrastructure, and ensuring safe and reliable travel for hundreds of thousands of cars that use the corridor daily.”