Why Did I Not Know About This Weird Traffic Light

I love to take a back road every once in a while. If I am heading out on errands or I am in no rush to get anywhere, I will always take the scenic route. This weekend I realized it has been a while since I had done "a take the long way" trip to town, so I did one and came across a surprise.

Construction Traffic Light Installed on Route 213 Near Rifton

We have all found ourselves busier over the last few months. I am not sure why all of our schedules seem so crazy. I can tell you, though, since 2025 started, I feel like I haven't had any extra time, which is the reason I am using for why I had no idea there was big road construction on a back road I always use, but not in a while.

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New York State Thruway Bridge Over the Wallkill River Being Replaced

It turns out that for a while now, Route 213 near Route 32 in Ulster County has been under a new traffic pattern due to construction on a bridge which is part of the New York State Thruway. The part of Route 213 that takes you along the Wallkill River near Route 32 is down to one lane and has a traffic light.

READ More: Why There Are Black Boxes on Poles Near the Roads in Kingston

Where have I been, and when did that happen? I did some investigating, and it has been in the works for a while. It started this time last year. It is part of a road improvement project that New York State Governor Kathy Hochul approved, which has a $23.7 million budget.

Approximately 54,000 vehicles travel the bridge per day in both directions. The span opened to traffic in 1955 and is among the 75 percent of Thruway bridges that are more than 60 years old. (govenor.ny.gov via press release)

The whole project is expected to be finished by the end of 2026. It is being done in three stages, and currently they are working on the northbound side. So I expect that the traffic light I sat at this week will be there on Route 213 for quite a bit longer.