Closure New York State Thruway Postponed

UPDATE: 1-4-2024 - Due to the expected snow over the weekend the closure planned for Jan 6, 2024, on I-87 North between Newburgh (Exit 17) and New Paltz (Exit 19) has been postponed. There is no information at this time about when it will be rescheduled.

ORIGINAL STORY

Lots of things are coming our way in 2024, but I am not sure any of us saw this coming. On the first Saturday of the New Year, the New York State Thruway Authority will be closing a busy portion of the northbound Thruway.

The closure is necessary and should only be for a short time, but it still will be a bit complicated for people traveling north on the Thruway in the Hudson Valley. The announcement was made and as you can imagine comments are coming in from all directions.

What part of the New York State Thruway is Being Closed on January 6th, 2024

The New York State Thruway Authority announced through a press release that they will close the northbound lanes of I-87 NYS Thruway between Newburgh and New Paltz for approximately 12 hours on January 6, 2023. They have a timeline published that has the closure starting at 7 PM.

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They will first close the Plattekill Service area around 5 PM which is located on the Northside of the Thruway between New Paltz and Newburgh. Everyone will be told to leave the service area, including commercial vehicles.

Why Is The Northbound Thruway Closed on January 6, 2024

The reason for the closure is to give construction crews time to take down the Brookside Road overpass that has been struck by Over Height Trucks 9 times this year and 27 times since 2019.  Brookside Road has been closed between New Paltz and Highland since May 22nd, 2023 when it was hit by a car and deemed unsafe to cross.

Since the May accident, Brookside Road which is used by local drivers to cut across this part of Ulster County has been closed. Built in 1954 its original verticle clearance was 14 feet 2 inches but with repeated damage it is now down to 14 feet. According to the information from the NYS Thruway authority the last strike was in October of this year.

The Detour for the Closure of the Thruway on January 6, 2024

The detour during the closure will be marked. Drivers will exit the Thruway in Newburgh and be directed to take State Route 84 East to State Route 9W North. Once on 9W drivers will follow signs to State Route 299 West which will take them to the Thruway Exit in New Paltz, New York.

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The closure is expected to take 12 hours, after which the road will re-open and the construction area will be reduced to one lane. Then the following weekend this process will be repeated on January 13th and 14th to remove the Southbound side of the Brookside Road overpass.

Why You Should Avoid the Northbour NYS Thruway on January 6th, 2024

Drivers are asked to pick an alternate route and if choosing to travel through the area at the time of the closure to expect delays. As for truck traffic, they will be informed and hopefully be able to avoid the area altogether. Route 9W is a rural road that travels through towns and only two regular travel lanes for most of the length of the detour.

The big question people want to know is when will they be rebuilding the overpass. That answer is not clear at this time. Full Press Release from NYS Thruway Authority.

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