I-781 (Fort Drum Connector) Update

[Dougtone]

I guess the plan is to open up the highway in September.  It didn't look that way when I passed through the I-781 construction area last Saturday.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20120802/NEWS03/708029915/0/javascript.twitter.c:

[machias]

I guess the plan is to open up the highway in September.  It didn't look that way when I passed through the I-781 construction area last Saturday.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20120802/NEWS03/708029915/0/javascript.twitter.c:

The bridge over NY Route 37 wasn't in place two months ago and I thought to myself there was no way that would be ready by the August timeframe. There must have been a lot progress in a short time.

[vdeane]

I think that's all they did shortly after you passed by it.  They seem to be doing one thing at a time with this project; the portion near Goulds Corners Road was nearly done at the time of the Watertown meet last year.

Right now the work seems be be on the finishing touches for the US 11 interchange and actually building the I-81 interchange.

PS: The article says "by early September" which I took to mean "in the end of August", especially since the original completion target for the project was 8/31/12.

[machias]

I drove up by each end of Interstate 781 last night to see how close they are to opening it. Unfortunately it was dark when I was up there but there was enough ambient light to get an idea of where they are with the project.

It looks like they're still paving around the US Route 11 interchange. Traffic is still moved over to one side of US 11 as you pass under the bridge. The 11 SB to 781 ramp didn't look paved yet, but again, it was dark.

The bridge over NY 37 is still under construction. It's there but it looks like it's at least a couple weeks away from completion.

No signs or anything are in place, though the VMSes on US 11 are up. I was surprised to see that they put VMSes on 11.

[vdeane]

I was in the area recently too; part of it (the ramps between US 11 and Fort Drum) is done and open to traffic, parts of it look nearly done (like the ramp from I-781 east to US 11), but parts of it look like construction has barely started (like the ramp from I-781 to I-81 north).  There's even an end I-781 sign visible on US 11 north; wish I had my camera on me yesterday!

I'm guessing they plan to turn the NY 342 interchange into a half diamond; I've seen no plans to reconfigure it, but the ramps on the north side are WAY too close to the I-781 interchange.  Ramps were eliminated on the NY 590 (then 47)/Norton Street interchange even though it's twice as far from the NY 104 interchange as the NY 342 and I-781 interchanges are.

[Alex]

A blip about the progress of the Fort Drum Connector in this article (No construction scheduled at Fort Drum in 2014).

Col. Rosenberg said the Interstate 781 connector project, also known as the Paul Cerjan Memorial Highway, will be completed in late October or early November.

[cu2010]

A few crappy cellphone pictures from Monday and today with progress...apologies for the crappiness.

First, from Monday, heading south down US11...apologies for the rain on my windshield, it was sprinkling at the time...yes, despite the sun and clouds. 


This I-781 shield shouldn't be uncovered yet...


A view of the SPUI with US11, heading south on 11.

The next batch are from today, heading north, starting with I-81:


Signposts for the new BGS, behind the current one.


Empty gantry, at current Exit 48.

A view of the highway from the Goulds Corners Road overpass:


Finally, northbound on US11 heading into the interchange:

[agentsteel53]

is there a state name on that 781?  New York contractors seem to install one every so often

[cu2010]

Nope...boring neutered '70 spec shield.

[hbelkins]

But about the biggest JCT plate I've seen in ages.

[vdeane]

Wow, aside from one shield, it looks just like it did last month!

For some reason the picture from Goulds Corners Road makes it look even less done than it was during the Watertown meet!  Is that gravel?  It was asphalt last year.

[cu2010]

It's still paved, though it appears as if they're putting another overlay of asphalt on it. My cellphone takes shitty photos, but you know, had nothing else with me at the time. I don't think ahead like that...I was just passing through and thought "you know, I should take some update pictures to post on AARoads", whipped out the phone, narrowly avoided many accidents trying to snap pictures at ten miles over the speed limit, and there you go.

There are some "speed limit 45 ahead" signs up heading towards US-11, and some other smaller signs I couldn't make out...but otherwise, nothing.

And there is one other difference between now and when I drove through last month. The lights at the interchange are active now.

[vdeane]

Given that they had the area at Goulds Corners Road paved, with Nellis Road still going through and others not started, I imagine the final layers would be going through now.

I remember they reduced the speed limit to 45 for the work zone; I have no idea if that's permanent or not.  I do like that the right lane no longer funnels into Fort Drum, though I hopefully won't have reason to care about that ever again

[Henry]

Looks like an interesting drive!

[cu2010]

I remember they reduced the speed limit to 45 for the work zone; I have no idea if that's permanent or not.  I do like that the right lane no longer funnels into Fort Drum, though I hopefully won't have reason to care about that ever again

The sign's still there, though!

[vdeane]

I wouldn't be suprised if US 11 is going to see some work between NY 342 and I-781 after I-781 opens.  It'll have a lot less traffic.  Main thing would be to reconstruct the intersection with NY 342 to get rid of the soon to be oversized protected left turn lanes; one normal left turn lane, perhaps with a doghouse signal, should suffice after the traffic moves to I-781.

[cu2010]

You mean put it back to the way it used to be, before all of the development within the past ten years caused by Fort Drum expansions?

Seriously, though, despite long-distance travellers and those heading to the base being largely moved onto the new highway, there will still likely be significant traffic up and down that stretch of US11, going to and from said development. Most of the traffic increases (and subsequent changes to the highway- that guardrail median has only been there seven years) were caused by the significant growth along the US11 corridor and the Fort Drum expansions. I don't think there will be such a drop in traffic where significant work would be necessary.

Besides, why bother paying to reverse fairly recent changes? Too many lanes are better than too few...

[machias]

I drove through there last weekend but couldn't manage any decent pics. I did noticed a completely uncovered END 781 just beyond the bridge over US 11.  The END sign is just as large as that JCT sign in the photos that Doug posted.  I also noticed from the Goulds Corners Rd overpass that the speed limit on I-781 drops to 55 and then looks like it will drop again right before the US 11 bridge (I could see the new style speed zone ahead signs beyond the 55 signs, I think I saw 45 but I couldn't be sure.)

[vdeane]

You mean put it back to the way it used to be, before all of the development within the past ten years caused by Fort Drum expansions?

Seriously, though, despite long-distance travellers and those heading to the base being largely moved onto the new highway, there will still likely be significant traffic up and down that stretch of US11, going to and from said development. Most of the traffic increases (and subsequent changes to the highway- that guardrail median has only been there seven years) were caused by the significant growth along the US11 corridor and the Fort Drum expansions. I don't think there will be such a drop in traffic where significant work would be necessary.

Besides, why bother paying to reverse fairly recent changes? Too many lanes are better than too few...

I wouldn't go that far, but don't you agree that the 1/2 mile long two fully protected left turn lanes from NY 342 east to US 11 north are going to be a major annoyance at that light once I-781 is done?

[cu2010]

Work is apparently nearly complete; the highway is targeted for opening by Thanksgiving.

http://www.wwnytv.com/news/local/Fort-Drum-Connector-Road-Nearly-Complete-175090801.html

[vdeane]

Hopefully this deadline will stick... I remember when it was supposed to open this month, and when it was supposed to open by the end of August!  In the time Indiana built 100 miles of I-69, NYSDOT can't even build a short freeway like I-781!

[cu2010]

This is New York we're talking about...they can't do anything on time!

[vdeane]

Looks like this won't be opening until after I graduate.  The contractor claims they'll be done by the end of November, but that's contingent on getting many days around Thanksgiving where temperatures don't dip below 50... there's a better chance of hell freezing over than that happening.  They should have done that FIRST, not last!  This contracter is clearly incompetent.  Anybody who lives in the area could have told them that these delays would happen.  Where do they think this is, southern California?

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20121025/NEWS03/710259892

[machias]

Took a look at I-781 progress today. It's still not open, though the overhead signs at the US 11 have been installed.  US 11 North has "Gouverneur / Canton" for destinations, US 11 SOUTH made me cringe because it looks like this:

Watertown
+------------+
| Downtown |
+------------+

instead of just saying "Downtown Watertown".  Basically the word "Downtown" is in a smaller letter height and surrounded by a box. I don't know where that idea came from because it's not listed in any manual I've ever seen.

The overhead signs have not been installed on I-81 as of yet.  The I-781 signs at the SPUI on US 11 are up but covered with not even a hint of legend showing.

[Alex]

Took a look at I-781 progress today. It's still not open, though the overhead signs at the US 11 have been installed.  US 11 North has "Gouverneur / Canton" for destinations, US 11 SOUTH made me cringe because it looks like this:

Watertown
+------------+
| Downtown |
+------------+

instead of just saying "Downtown Watertown".  Basically the word "Downtown" is in a smaller letter height and surrounded by a box. I don't know where that idea came from because it's not listed in any manual I've ever seen.

Seems to be a standard for NYSDOT, or perhaps just Region 3?