New York State Thruway

[Jim]

Got this one tonight on my way home, approaching from I-90 WB.  Unfortunately backlit and with road spray from the storm that had just moved through (and later flooded parts of Rensselear County).

[storm2k]

Got this one tonight on my way home, approaching from I-90 WB.  Unfortunately backlit and with road spray from the storm that had just moved through (and later flooded parts of Rensselear County).

Interesting that they're not using Thruway shields here.

[SignBridge]

Surprising they would bother putting mileage on those signs. That's not usually done along with lane arrows.

[vdeane]

Got this one tonight on my way home, approaching from I-90 WB.  Unfortunately backlit and with road spray from the storm that had just moved through (and later flooded parts of Rensselear County).

Interesting that they're not using Thruway shields here.

It's not like the old signs had them either.  The Thruway shield isn't used nearly as often as the shields for the MassPike, PA Turnpike, or NJ Turnpike.

[shadyjay]

The Thruway shield is used on the approaches to the Thruway, not necessarily on the Thruway itself.  It is seen on the pull-throughs on I-90 about 1/4 mile behind this image, and on the Northway exit for the Thruway.  There are, of course, exceptions.  When the I-84 direct connect with the Thruway was constructed, Thruway logos appear just past the toll booths at the north/south split.  And in a couple places, Thruway shields are posted on pull-throughs on the mainline itself... but usually only at major junctions (Exit 15-15A-I-287 South & NY 17, Exit 24-SB). 

Then there are the places where space for a Thruway shield was... sort of... provided, but never got one.  NB at the I-84 exit comes to mind. 

[Jim]

Apologies to those who don't need a sign update play-by-play, but here are a couple more from today.

A better view of the one I posted above, this time as I am going from I-87 SB to I-90 WB.



And new between my commutes home yesterday and today, the replacement for what's in the background.



Here's an older and closer-up picture of the button copy ones in the background whose days look to be numbered.  Taken December 3, 2015.  I assume those date from the total reconfiguration of 24 back in what, maybe the mid 80's?

[Jim]

Driving the Berkshire Spur over the weekend, I was impressed by the job done in removing the Canaan barrier.  If I didn't know the area where it was so well, I doubt I would have been able to tell it was ever there.

[Roadgeek Adam]

The last of the main 4 barriers in the suburbs of Buffalo, 57 is now down as well.

[empirestate]

Driving the Berkshire Spur over the weekend, I was impressed by the job done in removing the Canaan barrier.  If I didn't know the area where it was so well, I doubt I would have been able to tell it was ever there.

And the last time I passed through Exit B2, the booth was fully gone but the side building remains–complete with "B2" still on the chimney.

[Jim]

Also forgot to mention that the repaving at 24 has finally taken place.   Obviously a much smoother ride and you can actually tell where the lanes are now.  My bank account wishes that they did at least a first pass at this back in the winter so I wouldn't have had my big repair bill from the giant pothole hit.

[vdeane]

The booths are gone at 44 but the splitter islands the booths were in are currently still there.  Not fun to go through right now - those splitter islands are hard to see without the booths there.

[goldfishcrackers4]

What's the deal with the route 13 bridge replacement over the Thruway in Canastota? Dumped big piles of dirt in the spring, put up signals. No activity since.

[TonyTrafficLight]

What's the deal with the route 13 bridge replacement over the Thruway in Canastota? Dumped big piles of dirt in the spring, put up signals. No activity since.

Last I went by there about 3 weeks ago there weren't even any new footings for the bridge yet. Contractor issues?
They started it towards the beginning of April.

[TheGrassGuy]

At the Sloatsburg SA as I type this... saw that all the other service areas for 72 miles were closed, and assumed it was because of the pandemic. Turns out they're remodeling all the service areas (or at least the NB ones)

[vdeane]

At the Sloatsburg SA as I type this... saw that all the other service areas for 72 miles were closed, and assumed it was because of the pandemic. Turns out they're remodeling all the service areas (or at least the NB ones)

It's all of them.  The first ones closed a week ago.  Even before the closure, many restaurants never reopened after the pandemic in anticipation of this.  They're planning to avoid having two in a row in any direction closed at the same time.
https://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/travelplazas/service-area-project/index.html

[02 Park Ave]

I hope that when they close Sloatsburg that travelers will be able to use the pedestrian walkway to access the Ramapo Service Area directly across the Thruway.

[cl94]

I hope that when they close Sloatsburg that travelers will be able to use the pedestrian walkway to access the Ramapo Service Area directly across the Thruway.

Doubtful. Isn't ADA compliant, so they can't let anybody use it.

[SignBridge]

Are you saying they can't let people without disabilities use it?

[kalvado]

Are you saying they can't let people without disabilities use it?

That's exactly how ADA works. All or none.

[Jim]

Are you saying they can't let people without disabilities use it?

That's exactly how ADA works. All or none.

At a college where I worked in the past, one of the older buildings had a 3-step stone staircase for which it didn't make sense to build a ramp and install an automatic door, as accessible entrances were located very nearby in each direction.  The college was forced to keep that door locked other than as an emergency exit (though people used it as a regular exit all the time).

[Roadgeek Adam]

Keep in mind, the Ramapo Service Area used to just be a parking lot for Sloatsburg on the south side and that overpass severed as a connection to Sloatsburg. With there now a service area on the Ramapo side, there's no reason for the overpass anymore other than connections for staff.

[Buffaboy]

Out of curiosity, does anyone have pictures of the Breckenridge Toll Barrier in Buffalo? I drive on I-190 all of the time and forget it was there. I don't even remember going through it when I was younger.

[webny99]

A bus rolled over on the WB Thruway near Weedsport today, causing injuries to all passengers and a 10-mile traffic backup:
https://www.syracuse.com/news/2021/08/at-least-25-injured-in-bus-accident-on-ny-thruway-near-weedsport.html

[vdeane]

I was analyzing the service areas projected restaurants list, and I noted that for the I-87 ones, all but a couple of them have something more restaurant more interesting than Starbucks/Dunkin/Burger King, but for the I-90 corridor, a significant majority of them do not.  Looks like the benefits of this project predominantly go to downstate NY while upstate is getting a downgrade.

[seicer]

Traffic counts? At least they are all getting upgrades with showers

What's the plan for the one lonesome service area west of Buffalo?