(WNY News Now) By lowering bridge strikes and improving infrastructure, the new Schepps Corners Road Bridge improves safety and connectivity in Central New York.
Yesterday, Governor Kathy Hochul declared the completion of a $5 million bridge replacement project on Onondaga County’s New York State Thruway. In the Town of Manlius, a new bridge was built in place of the Schepps Corners Road bridge (milepost 274.4). Both on schedule and within budget, the project was finished.
According to Governor Hochul, funding vital infrastructure is an investment in our communities’ safety and connectedness.We are pleased to have completed this bridge replacement on schedule and on budget, and it will give the residents of Central New York the superior quality they deserve.
To lessen bridge impacts from overheight vehicles, the rebuilt bridge has a higher vertical clearance of 16 11 compared to 14 5. The 570-mile New York State Thruway system has seen 224 bridge strikes since 2020, with 46 of those strikes occurring in 2024 alone. Along with additional measures including public awareness campaigns, more conspicuous signage, and stronger enforcement, the increased vertical clearance is intended to decrease the frequency of bridge impacts on the road and improve safety for both drivers and Thruway Authority staff.
Wider shoulders, a new safety rail, and an enhanced riding surface are further safety improvements. In order to protect adjacent wetlands from erosion and runoff, the project also added stone gutters on each corner of the new bridge. These gutters will slow down runoff and filter it away from the road. All embankments now have erosion control mats, creating new grasslands that will absorb stormwater and lessen runoff.
The previous bridge was constructed in 1953 and was the first part of the Thruway system. Every day, over 2,600 cars cross the Thruway on the local road.
The project’s contractor was Slate Hill Constructors, located in Warners, New York.
“We are actively addressing the prevalence of bridge strikes by increasing vertical clearance on the new bridges, improving motorist safety as the Thruway Authority replaces aging infrastructure on the system,” stated Frank G. Hoare, executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority. Through projects that update our infrastructure and keep the Thruway among the safest superhighways in the country, our customers are seeing their toll money put back into the system.
The new Schepps Corners Road bridge over the Thruway will keep Onondaga County villages safely connected and prevent costly and dangerous bridge strikes, according to state senator John W. Mannion. I applaud the Thruway Authority and the governor for finishing this significant infrastructure improvement on schedule and within budget.
On behalf of the Village of Minoa, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Governor Hochul and the Thruway Authority for replacing the Schepps Corners Road Bridge, stated Village of Minoa Mayor William F. Brazill. Our community is safer and more connected because to this initiative, and we sincerely value the state’s dedication to helping small towns.
Concerning the Thruway Authorities
Constructed in the early 1950s, the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway is one of the longest toll roads in the country and one of the original parts of the National Interstate Highway System. Tolls are the principal source of funding for the Thruway system’s upkeep and operation. Drivers of the Thruway, including one-third of out-of-state drivers, pay for the Thruway Authority, which does not receive any specific federal, state, or local tax funding.
The safety of our staff and patrons is the Thruway Authority’s first concern. Two Thruway Authority personnel lost their lives and one was gravely hurt in separate events while working on the Thruway in 2024. Everyone who uses the highway is essential to the lives of Thruway Authority staff, road workers, and emergency personnel. In addition to slowing down in work zones and moving over when they notice a car on the side of the road, drivers should be vigilant and attentive while driving. Expanded in March 2024, the state’s Move Over Law mandates that drivers slow down and yield to any stopped vehicles on the road. We all share responsibilities for safety.
Drivers are advised to download the smartphone app, which is free to download on iPhone and Android devices, for the most recent travel information. While driving, the app gives drivers instant access to real-time traffic and navigation support. The Thruway Authority’s interactive Traveler Map, which includes real-time traffic cameras, is another resource for travelers. Additionally, drivers can subscribe to TRANSalerte-mails, which offer the most recent information on traffic conditions on the Thruway.
Visit our website or follow the Thruway on Facebook, Instagram, and X for additional information.