New Design Will Bolster Tourism and Economic Growth While Reducing Congestion, Backups and Accidents by More than 50 Percent around Woodbury Common – PowerPoint with Renderings Available Here
Project Will Create Up to 700 Jobs Through Project Labor Agreement
Cashless Tolling to Begin in October 2018, Significantly Improving Traffic Flow & Safety
State Accelerates Project Through Design Build, Moving Completion Up 5 Years to November 2019
New York, NY – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the start of construction for the $150 million design-build project at the Woodbury Road, Transit and Economic Development Hubin Orange County. Construction is expected to be completed in November 2019 — or five years ahead of schedule. The state will use a Project Labor Agreement (PLA), with the new road, transit and economic development hub expected to create 700 jobs over the course of the project.
The Governor’s directive to replace and rebuild the Road, Transit and Economic Development Hub in the Town of Woodbury, which he announced earlier this year, combined with the implementation of new cashless tolling at the Harriman Toll Barrier in October 2018, is expected to decrease congestion, backups and accidents by 50 percent around the Woodbury Premium Outlets area. This initiative will enhance New York’s transportation infrastructure while expanding economic growth opportunities in the Hudson Valley region. A PowerPoint with renderings of the design is available here.
“For too long, Hudson Valley residents have endured endless traffic headaches caused by the interchange at Woodbury Common, and now the state is taking action by developing a world-class transportation hub that will help alleviate congestion and improve traffic flow for residents and tourists alike,” Governor Cuomo said. “Across New York, we are making unprecedented investments in transportation infrastructure that will move our local economies forward, and this accelerated project will transform the region for years to come.”
The new, streamlined design for the new Road, Transit and Economic Development Hub includes improved access to businesses, new park-and-ride services, and enhanced pedestrian and public transit facilities. The project will also improve safety, mobility and traffic patterns at the interchange adjacent to the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets area while providing the local community with better options for transportation.
In addition, anew Monroe-Woodbury High School Drive Extension will be constructed expressly for local school bus traffic, connecting the high school with the elementary school and allowing school buses to more safely access many of their routes without ever having to access Nininger Road and Route 32.
The Thruway Authority will also convert the Harriman Toll Barrier to cashless tolling for northbound traffic seeking to access Woodbury Common and Route 17, as well as traffic seeking to travel south on the Thruway.For southbound traffic from the Thruway’s ticketed portion of the system, two toll lanes would remain in place for motorists with E-ZPass or cash. The scheduled completion date is October 2018.
The construction of the new $150 million Road, Transit and Economic Development Hub will include:
- Construct a Diverging Diamond Interchange
- Replace Route 32 Bridge
- Build a new underpass under Route 32
- Create a new lane going in each direction on Route 32
- Build bicycle and pedestrian safety corridor
- Construct a new Woodbury Common Premium Outlets access point
- Construct a new Monroe-Woodbury School District roadway
- Construct a new 200-space park and ride lot, featuring a solar-reliant bus shelter
…the state is taking action by developing a world-class transportation hub that will help alleviate congestion and improve traffic flow for residents and tourists alike.”
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Diverging Diamond Interchange:
Route 17 at Route 32 (Exit 131) will be reconfigured into a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI), which will simplify navigation for motorists and reduce accidents in the corridor. During the design build procurement process, innovative proposals are sought from the industry. The DDI model was selected as the best value alternative during the process because it was the most innovative proposal that was put forth. It will allow traffic to freely make left and right hand turns with no opposing traffic, greatly increasing the efficiency of the corridor to handle traffic. It will also ease access to the New York State Thruway and Route 17. The DDI will eliminate the need to cross traffic lanes while making left hand turns through a “crossover intersection” that will move traffic from the right side of the road to the left side of the road, then back again.
The traffic signals that will exist in the DDI will only control thru traffic and will provide significantly longer access to green lights. New adaptive signal control technology will also be incorporated into the project to monitor the traffic and change the timing of the lights during peak and non-peak traffic times.
The first DDI project took place from 2011 to 2012 at the interchange of I-590 and Winton Road in Monroe County. Traffic flow on the interchange, especially during rush hour, eased greatly and accidents were reduced by more than 50 percent. The Town of Brighton Police Department subsequently commended the project for reducing automobile crashes by eliminating the need to cross active traffic lanes while making left-hand turns.
The contract for the Road, Transit and Economic Development Hub in the Town of Woodbury has been awarded to a partnership between Yonkers Contracting Company and HNTB.
Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Paul A. Karas said, “This project is a win-win for residents and visitors alike, alleviating traffic while expanding the potential for growth in the Hudson Valley region. It truly exemplifies Governor Cuomo’s commitment to economic development through infrastructure, which will in turn help transform the region’s transportation network to further meet the needs of a 21st century economy.”
Thruway Authority Acting Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll said, “The conversion to cashless tolling at the Harriman Toll Barrier will improve safety and provide more efficient travel in the Mid-Hudson Valley. This project marks the third location along the Thruway where cashless tolling will be implemented and I applaud Governor Cuomo for his support and commitment to bringing this state-of-the-art technology to the Thruway system.”
Other project components:
New Route 32 Bridge Over Route 17: New twin bridges on Route 32 over Route 17 will be constructed at the same elevation to minimize the construction impact on the traveling public. As part of this highway and bridge reconstruction project, Route 17 will be lowered approximately four feet to meet Interstate clearance standards at the new bridges. The new height will be 16.5 feet. The project will also facilitate a future third lane in each direction along the Route 17 corridor to accommodate future traffic growth.
Nininger Road Extension: Nininger Road provides a vital link for traffic from Route 32 to the communities of Kiryas Joel and the Village of Monroe. This project willseparate local traffic from visitor traffic, creating a new bridge that will include an underpass under Route 32 with roundabouts on each end, avoiding the need for a signalized intersection at Route 32 while minimizing the impact on local neighborhoods and businesses. Full-service access to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets area will continue and the project will also include a new parking lot to access local athletic fields.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Access Corridor: The project will provide 4,000 feet of new concrete sidewalks. Sidewalks will be constructed along the westerly side of Route 32 beginning near Bond Street approximately ½ mile north of the Central Valley Elementary School and proceeding to the southerly most project limit on Route 32 approximately 800 ft. south of the Route 6 overpass. Additionally, sidewalks will be provided along Route 32 and Nininger Road connecting the school’s new athletic field parking lot to Central Valley Elementary School. New sidewalks will also be provided from the Central Valley Elementary school to Route 32 providing a connection into the sidewalk network that will be installed along the Woodbury Common Premium Outlet mall.
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets Access: This project will include the construction of a new south entrance/exit to and from Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. This entrance/exit will improve access to the mall “ring road” accessing the parking garage. Local traffic will be able to access this new entrance/exit through the new underpass under Route 32. Also, visitors traffic on Route 32 and Route 17 will be able to access this new entrance through the newly constructed roundabouts.
Monroe-Woodbury School District Roadway: Anew Monroe-Woodbury High School Drive Extension will be constructed expressly for school bus traffic, connecting the high school with the elementary school. An internal roadway will be created, while reconfigured parking areas will allow school buses to access many of their routes without ever having to access Nininger Road and Route 32. In turn, this will increase safety, decrease trip times, and provide additional emergency access to the school campus. The addition of this connector road will also minimize the need for the traffic signal along the Route 32 corridor at the southern entrance to the elementary school, which will increase mobility on the corridor.
Route 32 Park and Ride and Bus Shelter: Construct a new, 200 space park and ride lot, complete with a parking management system capable of monitoring and displaying the number of available parking spaces, four electric car charging station stalls, and a green bus shelter utilizing solar power and high efficiency lighting.
Solar Energy Generating Facility: The project design calls for the installation of a solar photovoltaic energy generating facility, or solar park, at the Harriman exit to offset the electricity used by Thruway maintenance and toll facilities at Harriman, Woodbury, Spring Valley and Nyack.
Route 32 and Route 17 Corridor Improvements: Every day, Route 32 serves approximately 20,000 vehicles, while Route 17 serves approximately 51,000 vehicles. The project willlower the profile of Route 17 to meet vertical clearance Interstate standards while also providing sufficient clearance for the new Route 32 bridge over Route 17. In addition, the Route 6 over Route 17 bridge will be rehabilitated with new bearings and a new bridge deck, while also providing sufficient clearance overhead. All utilities will be moved underground while a new storm water drainage system will be constructed. The DDI will result in reduced travel times and congestion, maximizing traffic movement while reducing accidents within the corridor. The project will also facilitate a future third lane in each direction.
The State will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that this project meets the needs of the community while improving access to area attractions. The design build contract was awarded on November 28. Now that the contract has officially been awarded, the first in a series of public meetings will be held in the coming weeks to provide further details on the anticipated construction schedule.
Senator William J. Larkin said, “Woodbury Common is critical to the economy and prosperity of the entire Hudson Valley. I applaud Governor Cuomo for his commitment to this vital infrastructure project that will transform the area. For too long, our residents have endured terrible congestion around Woodbury Common, and this state-of-the-art hub will create jobs and support economic growth for future generations.”
Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus said, “I want to thank Governor Cuomo and our state officials for their continued diligence in fighting for this critical infrastructure improvement. The Exit 131 project has lingered and been studied long enough. This construction will not only ease historic congestion issues, but will also allow us to continue to market this economically vital corridor for future planned growth and sustainable development.”
Design-Build contracts call for a single team of contractors to be responsible for both designing and building an entire project to ensure that coordination is seamless, and that work is completed in the shortest possible time frame. Design-build also provides cost certainty for the state with contractors assuming the risk for project delays and cost overruns.
To be eligible for tolling discounts, drivers are encouraged to sign up for an E-ZPass account at www.E-ZPassNY.com; at E-ZPass Customer Service Centers; or by calling the E-ZPass Toll Free Customer Service Center at 1-800-333-TOLL (8655). Tolls By Mail will be used to collect payment from those without E-ZPass. Motorists are required to maintain updated address information with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Contact the Governor’s Press Office
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