Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced the opening of a new southbound Interstate 81 bridge over the Chenango River, a major milestone in the $135 million project to reconstruct the Prospect Mountain Interchange of State Route 17 and I-81 in the city of Binghamton and town of Dickinson, Broome County. The I-81 southbound Exit 4 off ramp to Binghamton and Hillcrest also is re-opening to traffic.
“Interstate 81 in Binghamton is a critical link in New York State’s highway system and the new bridges being built at Prospect Mountain will support increased economic activity and keep traffic moving smoothly through the Southern Tier,” Governor Cuomo said. “This is yet another example of the State’s efforts to bolster vital infrastructure and I am pleased to see the success of this project moving forward.”
The Prospect Mountain project includes constructing new bridges over the Chenango River, new concrete pavement, noise walls and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) features that help manage traffic. The new I-81 northbound/Route 17 westbound bridge over the Chenango River was reopened earlier this month and the State Route 17 Prospect Street Interchange off-ramp opened to traffic this summer. The Route 17 westbound Prospect Street on-ramp and the I-81 southbound ramp to Route 17 westbound will both open this fall.
The construction contractor for the project is L&T Construction of Richmondville, Schoharie County. Work began in March 2012 and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Matthew J. Driscoll said, “The new bridge over the Chenango River will ensure safety and mobility along the corridor into the future and the extensive ITS improvements will reduce congestion and keep traffic moving smoothly to reduce greenhouse gases. This major reconstruction project has been progressed thanks to Governor Cuomo’s leadership, and it will allow this portion of Route 17 to be designated as federal Interstate 86 in the future.”
Assemblyman Clifford Crouch said, “Ask anyone who has driven in Binghamton or Dickinson, traffic congestion has been a major problem, but with this announcement, the issue will finally be resolved. The government’s job is to make positive changes to the state that will help all New Yorkers, and with the construction of the I-81 bridge we are doing just that.”
Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said, “I’m very happy with the opening of a new southbound bridge on Interstate 81. This entire interchange project has been a huge undertaking and I am truly impressed with how smoothly the Department of Transportation’s work has been. I’d like to thank the Governor for his ongoing support of this critical infrastructure project.”
An estimated $164 million project to reconfigure Interchange 4 (State Route 17/I-81 and State Route 7) will begin next spring and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.
