New York

[astralentity]

Ok.  Is there ANY chance that R9 might fix I-88 between the Richmondville/Worcester line and exit 16?  I drive I-88 frequently for work and for long distance trips west, and it's absolutely atrocious.  I have to play LLB from the county line to at least Oneonta.

[cl94]

That stretch of I-88 used to be worse, believe it or not. They repaired the worst sections a year or two ago.

R9 has been slowly overlaying/reconstructing their entire section of the road. It's just not a high priority. Most of it through Schoharie County has gotten a much-needed overlay within the past couple years and two stretches in Broome and Otsego Counties had full-depth reconstructions. The southernmost couple miles is getting a partial-depth reconstruction this upcoming construction season.

Looking at the upcoming projects list, the resurfacing in Schoharie will make its way into Otsego County this year and there will be another in Broome.

[Dougtone]

Come visit the illustrious Storm King Highway (NY 218) along the Hudson River in the scenic Hudson Valley of New York State. Complete with twists, turns, cliffs and scenic vistas, this is a memorable drive to take.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/02/storm-king-highway.html

[02 Park Ave]

Come visit the illustrious Storm King Highway (NY 218) along the Hudson River in the scenic Hudson Valley of New York State. Complete with twists, turns, cliffs and scenic vistas, this is a memorable drive to take.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/02/storm-king-highway.html

It is truly an interesting drive into the idyllic Village of Cornwall on Hudson; however, it is now closed for the season.

[Rothman]

The highway gets closed for the season?  I don't see a recent notice?

[cl94]

The highway gets closed for the season?  I don't see a recent notice?

Yeah, it gets closed any time it needs to be salted or plowed. Full-height gates and everything.

[Rothman]

The highway gets closed for the season?  I don't see a recent notice?

Yeah, it gets closed any time it needs to be salted or plowed. Full-height gates and everything.

So, by storm or is it a date range?

[cl94]

So, by storm or is it a date range?

By storm, sort of. Region 8 won't plow it and the road is prone to rockfall and other weather-related issues, so they frequently need to clear debris from the road before reopening. In Winter 2018, it was closed for 4 months. Summer closures after large storms aren't uncommon, either.

[froggie]

Not all of it gets closed.  The portion south of West Point's Washington Gate remains open.  Not sure where the closure point on the Cromwell end is.

[cl94]

Not all of it gets closed.  The portion south of West Point's Washington Gate remains open.  Not sure where the closure point on the Cromwell end is.

Closure point on the north end is the state park boundary.

[empirestate]

Come visit the illustrious Storm King Highway (NY 218) along the Hudson River in the scenic Hudson Valley of New York State. Complete with twists, turns, cliffs and scenic vistas, this is a memorable drive to take.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/02/storm-king-highway.html

And thrown in for good measure, a photo of the state's only road tunnel through land, on NY 9D at Breakneck.

[Jim]

In recent weeks, these two have been removed from the NY 30 bridge in Amsterdam:





And not just the panels, the entire assembly except for a small piece of the first, are gone.  The first has been replaced by a small group of shields at the exit ramp to NY 5 East, and the second has not been replaced with anything.

The last of these still standing is down on NY 5 East:

[baugh17]

In recent weeks, these two have been removed from the NY 30 bridge in Amsterdam:

And not just the panels, the entire assembly except for a small piece of the first, are gone.  The first has been replaced by a small group of shields at the exit ramp to NY 5 East, and the second has not been replaced with anything.

R2 replacing more overheads with ground mounted signs?

[vdeane]

It's worth noting that the City of Amsterdam plans to remove NY 5 eastbound and route both directions onto what is currently NY 5 westbound in order to improve access to their waterfront, so the ramp the overhead signs were for won't likely be around much longer.

[Jim]

It's worth noting that the City of Amsterdam plans to remove NY 5 eastbound and route both directions onto what is currently NY 5 westbound in order to improve access to their waterfront, so the ramp the overhead signs were for won't likely be around much longer.

Could be the case.  I haven't seen enough detail in plans to know if that ramp from the bridge from NY 30 North down to current NY 5 East would remain.  The part that's definitely being discussed for removal is west of the bridge, where a rec center is proposed I believe just west of the Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook pedestrian bridge that would sit in part right on top of the existing roadway.

[seicer]

Are there details of that @vdeane? All of the ramps and express routes around the city seem excessive, more so given the area's economic decline and the mall's status.

[vdeane]

I'm only aware of the part that was mentioned in the announcement of the Amsterdams' downtown revitilization grant:

Removal of Route 5 eastbound spur in downtown (Cost estimate $5 million, undetermined amount of DRI funds sought) "We don't know what amount we're going to do yet. We put in an application to the State Department of Transportation to remove the entirety of that section of Route 5, but we don't know when that's anticipated to come through yet," Bearcroft said.

https://dailygazette.com/article/2019/02/02/bridge-to-downtown-connection-eyed-for-dri-funding

[Jim]

Lots of information is posted by the city here: https://www.amsterdamny.gov/business/downtown-revitalization-initiative-dri

[machias]

In recent weeks, these two have been removed from the NY 30 bridge in Amsterdam:

And not just the panels, the entire assembly except for a small piece of the first, are gone.  The first has been replaced by a small group of shields at the exit ramp to NY 5 East, and the second has not been replaced with anything.

R2 replacing more overheads with ground mounted signs?

Most likely. My last conversation with R2 around all these changes revolved around the structural integrity of the overhead sign installations and the lack of funds to replace them.

[vdeane]

In recent weeks, these two have been removed from the NY 30 bridge in Amsterdam:

And not just the panels, the entire assembly except for a small piece of the first, are gone.  The first has been replaced by a small group of shields at the exit ramp to NY 5 East, and the second has not been replaced with anything.

R2 replacing more overheads with ground mounted signs?

Most likely. My last conversation with R2 around all these changes revolved around the structural integrity of the overhead sign installations and the lack of funds to replace them.

And this is one reason why I scratch my head at MA and their policy of making every single sign overhead.

[amroad17]

Most of these overhead sign bridges in New York have been there for at least 40, and more likely 50, years.  Most have a seemingly "flimsy" look, making the case for structural integrity issues.  As machias has posted (and has put on his former website), many of the overhead sign installations in the Syracuse area had to be dismantled due to structural integrity issues.

Maybe if NYSDOT used larger, thicker "arm masts" like Florida has or had a more "boxy" sign bridge, some of the structural integrity issues may not exist.

[D-Dey65]

Most of these overhead sign bridges in New York have been there for at least 40, and more likely 50, years.  Most have a seemingly "flimsy" look, making the case for structural integrity issues.  As machias has posted (and has put on his former website), many of the overhead sign installations in the Syracuse area had to be dismantled due to structural integrity issues.

Maybe if NYSDOT used larger, thicker "arm masts" like Florida has or had a more "boxy" sign bridge, some of the structural integrity issues may not exist.

What bothers me about it more than anything else is the low-hanging traffic signal sign with the flashing lights.

[machias]

Most of these overhead sign bridges in New York have been there for at least 40, and more likely 50, years.  Most have a seemingly "flimsy" look, making the case for structural integrity issues.  As machias has posted (and has put on his former website), many of the overhead sign installations in the Syracuse area had to be dismantled due to structural integrity issues.

Maybe if NYSDOT used larger, thicker "arm masts" like Florida has or had a more "boxy" sign bridge, some of the structural integrity issues may not exist.

Actually, many of the overhead sign supports installed in the 60s and 70s in the Utica area were still standing as of three years ago, but the supports installed in the late 1980s were the ones having structural issues. It makes sense if the 60s-70s era supports are starting to fail now, but the ones from the late 1980s seemed a bit premature.

I like what the Thruway Authority has been doing with single arm supports. Now if they could just get sign fabrication material that is actually reflective.

[SignBridge]

amroad17, I don't know about the upstate regions, but NYSDOT Region-10 on Long Island has been building more substantial looking boxy sign gantries in recent years. Some of them use surprisingly large pipes. Many years ago I was told by a DOT engineer that they build for a higher wind load on Long Island than in most of the state.

[vdeane]

I don't know how they compare to Region 10, but the overhead installs for the other regions have been beefier in recent years too.  Here's one from the last decade in the Rochester area: http://nysroads.com/photos.php?route=i590&state=NY&file=100_6334.JPG

Most of these overhead sign bridges in New York have been there for at least 40, and more likely 50, years.  Most have a seemingly "flimsy" look, making the case for structural integrity issues.  As machias has posted (and has put on his former website), many of the overhead sign installations in the Syracuse area had to be dismantled due to structural integrity issues.

Maybe if NYSDOT used larger, thicker "arm masts" like Florida has or had a more "boxy" sign bridge, some of the structural integrity issues may not exist.

Actually, many of the overhead sign supports installed in the 60s and 70s in the Utica area were still standing as of three years ago, but the supports installed in the late 1980s were the ones having structural issues. It makes sense if the 60s-70s era supports are starting to fail now, but the ones from the late 1980s seemed a bit premature.

I like what the Thruway Authority has been doing with single arm supports. Now if they could just get sign fabrication material that is actually reflective.

I think they finally ran out of the nonreflective crap they had been using.  The new 1 mile advance sign for EB exit 25A is reflective.