Courtesy New York State DOT
The new Rexford Bridge, carrying Route 146 over the Mohawk River between the towns of Clifton Park and Niskayuna, will open to traffic this fall, state officials said.
Work on the $32.5 million project resumed in the last week of March. The bridge carries approximately 22,000 motor vehicles per day.
“The Rexford Bridge is a vital link for commuters and visitors to the Capital Region and, as we resume construction this spring, we help ensure that the new bridge opens to traffic on time this fall,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “The safety improvements and structural upgrades to this bridge will help ease congestion while also ensuring its continued viability for years to come.”
The work is being done under a design-build contract that calls for a single team of contractors to be responsible for both designing and building an entire project in order to ensure that coordination is seamless, and that work is completed in the shortest possible time frame, officials said. Design-build also provides cost certainty for the state with contractors assuming the risk for project delays and cost overruns.
The new bridge will be wider than the existing bridge, with four lanes—two in each direction—instead of two. A multi-use path will connect Riverview Road in Rexford and the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail in Niskayuna. Initial work this season will include delivery and installation of steel for the new bridge.
State Department of Transportation Commissioner Matthew J. Driscoll said the new bridge and two-lane roundabout will help alleviate the heavy traffic that users of the existing bridge experience daily.
A new roundabout opened in a temporary, single-lane pattern last September on the Niskayuna side of the bridge, at the intersection of Balltown Road (Route 146), Aqueduct Road and Williams Street. When the new bridge opens to traffic, the roundabout will be opened in its permanent, two-lane configuration.
Route 146 between the new roundabout and Riverview Road in Rexford is being reconstructed as a four-lane roadway, and intersection improvements will be made at Route 146 and Riverview Road in Clifton Park, approximately one-half mile north of the bridge.
“The new Rexford Bridge is a project that many people are eager to see completed,” state Sen. Jim Tedisco said. “The Rexford Bridge is a critical connector in the 49th Senate District for travelers and workers who commute between Schenectady and Saratoga counties every day and the small businesses that rely on it for commerce. Once completed, this new bridge will help ease traffic congestion and make that commute just a little easier for the thousands of people who cross the Mohawk River on a daily basis.”
Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett commended the state DOT for “working diligently to complete the Rexford Bridge Project as quickly as possible, while minimizing impacts to motorists and residents. As the next phase of construction begins, we will remain in close contact with DOT officials and disseminate important information on a timely basis.”
Work began in late 2015 on the new bridge, which is being built directly to the west of the existing structure. After the new bridge opens, work will continue on the project, including removal of the old bridge and on- and off-road work on both bridge approaches. The project is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2017.
The project will be completed in accordance with the requirements of Cuomo’s Drivers First Initiative, which prioritizes the convenience of motorists and ensures that disruptions are kept at a minimum for drivers at highway and bridge projects across the state.