Patroon Island Bridge repairs to begin next month

The Patroon Island Bridge will undergo a two-year construction project to replace and repair its decks, substructure and ramps.

The $146 million project will close two lanes in each direction most nights on the 1,795-foot-long span. Traffic will be shifted as the bridge deck is replaced, but all six lanes will be open during the morning and evening commutes.

The bridge carries almost 70,000 drivers a day on Interstate 90 over the Hudson River between Rensselaer and Albany. It was built in 1968 and partly repaired in 1992.

The state has documented a history of cracks in floor beams and weld connections on the bridge. "Rehabilitating the Patroon Island Bridge is another way that the state is investing in our vital transportation infrastructure," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a release announcing the work. "This project will allow us to update and improve the bridge deck with minimal impact on travelers."

The project includes all the ramps at the I-90 interchange with I-787. The bridge decks and bearings will be replaced, the steel repaired and the bridge repainted. The substructures will be repaired and replaced as well.

Precast concrete deck panels will be used to speed construction. Two firms will do the work, including one based in the Capital Region. They are A. Servidone-B. Anthony Construction Corp. of Castleton and Halmar International of Rockland County.

Mark Servidone, president of A. Servidone Inc., said his firm and Halmar International are working jointly as a team. The firms will look to hire locally, he said.

"At any given time, it'll create 50 to 100 jobs," he said. "We are looking to employ local skilled craft labor whenever possible."

Some work on the Patroon Island Bridge began last year and continued through the winter. Four concrete piers supporting the ramps were demolished. Work to demolish the remaining piers and build new ones will continue through the summer and into the fall.

Work has already begun on installing traffic monitoring systems. Next month, one or two lanes will be closed overnight to build traffic crossovers and make other preparations for replacing the deck. Work to remove and replace the deck for eastbound traffic is expected to begin in late April.

Read more:
Patroon Island Bridge repairs to begin next month