This weekend, a three-month construction project is set to begin on the Alexander Hamilton Bridge that crosses the Harlem River between Manhattan and the Bronx. The bridge is a main artery for traffic coming from the Bronx and travelling to the George Washington Bridge (GWB). With at least one of four eastbound lanes closed at all times for the duration of the project, drivers can expect heavy traffic not only on this bridge but on alternate routes as well, according to NY1 News.
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYDOT) has been rehabilitating the Alexander Hamilton Bridge for some time, and the upcoming closures will give construction companies a chance to bring in cement mixers, dump trucks and other construction equipment to repave the road surfaces and add a breakdown lane. They will also be reinforcing the underlying steel of the structure. The federally-funded project costs $409 million and will give the bridge another 75 years of use, NorthJersey.com reports. This is the most expensive undertaking by the NYDOT, and officials hope it will help relieve congestion when all is said and done.
Since the bridge is a part of Interstate-95, commuters in surrounding areas of New York and New Jersey will either need to accept the delays or find alternative routes into or around the city.
"We're not exactly sure what's going to be out there Monday morning," Tim Greeley, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, told NJ.com. "We're going to be constantly monitoring with traffic cameras and people on the ground eastbound traffic patterns into the GWB."
New Jersey officials have suggested commuters heading into NYC opt for alternative modes of transportation, such as New Jersey Transit or PATH trains that will help them avoid the bridges all together.
The construction will likely be a source of frustration for commuters for the next few months at least. The project encompasses work on the I-95 roadways surrounding the bridge as well. Once it is done, traffic flow should be better than before it began. The work being done on the highway is expected to take two years. With commuters experiencing kind of frustration, it's important construction firms have the right equipment such as excavators and compactors to get the job done as quickly as possible.
While it may be a pain getting into the city, especially at rush hour, drivers will find the return trip back heading west will not be nearly as congested, according to NorthJersey.com.
