$31.8M North Ave. Bridge Project Over I-95 In New Rochelle Kicks Off

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Traffic congestion because of a massive bridge replacement project in the heart of New Rochelle will be the normal for years to come.

The NYS Thruway Authority announced that work has already started this month on a $31.8 million, three-year-long project to replace the North Ave. bridge, which is located above a section of the New England Thruway (I-95).

Estimated to be used by 20,000 vehicles daily, the four-lane bridge connects North Ave., Garden St. and Burling Lane.

Improvements planned include a wider overpass structure, a higher vertical clearance over I-95, and a dedicated left turn lane on North Ave. onto Garden St. The bridge will remain open throughout construction, but lane reductions will be in place.

The existing North Ave. bridge, which has been in service since 1958, and has a lower vertical clearance, has a history of damage from collisions as well as deterioration due to age, wear and harsh winter conditions. The replacement project is needed to address structural and operational issues, along with enhancing safety and improving mobility for motorists as well as pedestrians at the heavily traveled intersection, according to NYSDOT officials.

"The Thruway Authority remains dedicated to investing and modernizing its infrastructure across our 570-mile superhighway system," Thruway Authority Interim Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said. "We receive no federal or state tax money and work hard to ensure our toll dollars are spent strategically on critical projects like the replacement of the North Avenue bridge. Our team collaborated with New Rochelle on this vital connection to ensure it better serves those who live work, and operate businesses in the city for decades to come."

In collaboration with New Rochelle, Thruway Authority engineers agreed that the project should be completed in three stages to maintain access to the heart of the city, while also minimizing possible impacts to local residents, businesses and drivers.

• Stage 1: vehicles will be relocated to the center of the existing bridge so its outermost components can be removed; will also include the construction of new substructures, erection of steel and placement of concrete decks.
• Stage 2: vehicles will be moved to the new outer bridge sections so the remainder of the old bridge can be removed and rebuilt.
• Stage 3: vehicles will be moved to the center of the new bridge so sidewalks, paving and other work can be completed. Burling Lane will become one-way for westbound traffic during this stage.

Major improvements of this project include:

• Building a wider structure to accommodate a dedicated North Ave. southbound left turn lane onto Garden Street.
• Raising the bridge’s vertical clearance over I-95 from 14' 3" to 16' 6".
• Converting Burling Lane to one-way from North Ave. to Memorial Hwy (westbound traffic only).
• Improving traffic flow on Garden St.
• Installing decorative lighting and fencing, and other architectural treatments given the prominent location in the downtown corridor.
• Completing the Burling Lane Park, including an ADA-compliant ramp to access the pedestrian walkway over I-95 to the Metro-North train station.
• Rebuilding sidewalks and adding benches to both sides of the bridge.

During construction, drivers and residents should expect:

• Northbound and southbound lanes on North Ave. will be limited to one lane in each direction.
• Burling Lane between May St. and North Ave. is scheduled to close Wed., Jan. 18, and will be closed for the duration of the project.
• First responders, buses and articulated buses, and delivery trucks with three axles or less will continue to have access to the bridge at all times.
• Due to space constraints, vehicles with more than three axles will not be allowed through the construction zone; a truck detour is provided.
• Left turns from North Ave. to Garden St. will be prohibited; a detour will be provided utilizing Lockwood Ave. to Memorial Hwy.
• Left turns from Garden St. to North Ave. will be prohibited; a detour will be provided utilizing Cedar St. to Huguenot St.
• Pedestrian traffic will be maintained throughout the project using the existing walkway over I-95 connecting at Burling Lane and the train station.
• The majority of construction will take place during the day; overhead work such as bridge deck and steel removal that requires highway lane closures will occur at night for the safety of workers and to limit impacts to traffic.

Following a competitive bidding process, J. D’Annunzio & Sons, Inc., was selected as the project contractor.

Digital message boards are located around the work zone to advise drivers and pedestrians about construction work. Physical signs have also been placed at the construction site and in the vicinity to alert drivers and pedestrians about detours.

Maps and additional project information can be found on the Thruway Authority's project page, which will be updated regularly.

There may be lane closures on the New England Thruway along with traffic shifts and stoppages while construction is underway. Drivers should follow the posted work zone speed limits and are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of a driver's license.

Real-time traffic updates can be found here.

Drivers can also download the Thruway Authority’s free mobile-app and sign up for TRANSalerts for traffic information.