A trio of infrastructure improvement projects on the New York State Thruway in the state's central interior have recently been completed on time and within their budgets, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Dec. 2, 2025. The roadwork was part of a $17.4 million investment in the region's transportation network.
"Infrastructure investments are benefiting New Yorkers by modernizing our transportation system and improving the quality of life for travelers, local businesses and residents," Hochul said in a news release. "These projects are transforming our roadways, critical for the economy and improving travel for millions of motorists."
Frank G. Hoare, executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), added that his agency "continues to strategically reinvest toll revenue back into the system, modernizing the more than 71-year-old roadway and enhancing safety and reliability."
He noted that committing state money to the NYS Thruway helps to maintain one of the nation's lowest toll rates while ensuring that it remains one of the safest superhighways in the country.
Since 2024, the NYSTA has reinvested nearly $170 million in toll revenue for capital infrastructure projects in its Syracuse Division alone, which covers more than 150 mi. from Fort Plain in Montgomery County to Victor in Ontario County.
In its upcoming proposed 2026-2030 five-year Capital Plan, the agency is recommending an investment of more than $470 million in additional capital projects in Central New York.
The trio of thruway projects that have recently been opened are the Interstate 90/New York State Thruway upgrades in Seneca and Ontario counties, the replacement of the Towline Road bridge in the communities of DeWitt and Salina and the overhaul of the Interchange 34A bridge that carries I-481 over I-90 at milepost 276.58 in Onondaga County.
Interstate 90 Pavement Improvement Project
A $6 million infrastructure improvement to the NYS Thruway/I-90 in Seneca and Ontario counties began last year and was completed in November 2025.
The work included full and partial depth pavement repairs on I-90 eastbound and westbound between milepost 327.5 to milepost 347.1, which is located between Exit 42 (Geneva — Lyons — New York Highway 14) and Exit 44 (Canandaigua — Victor — N.Y. 332). Approximately 28,000 motorists use this stretch of I-90 in both directions every day, according to the NYSTA.
Full-depth pavement repairs were made at various locations throughout the 20-mi.-long corridor as well as partial depth mill and inlay work and shoulder reconstruction. In the end, the fixes improved the existing roadway's structural integrity.
Additional safety upgrades included new reflective line striping and milled-in audible roadway delineators (MIARD) on the highway shoulders.
Seneca Stone Corp. of Seneca Falls, N.Y., was the project contractor.
Replacement of Townline Road Bridge
A $7.5 million project to replace the Townline Road bridge (milepost 280.31) in the Onondaga County towns of DeWitt and Salina is complete, with the new structure open to traffic. Its construction began earlier in the spring.
The original bridge was built in 1953 and carried Townline Road over NYS Thruway/I-90. Approximately 12,400 vehicles per day travel across the structure.
The new bridge features increased vertical clearances — from 14-ft.-3-in. to 16-ft.-7-in. on the eastbound lanes and from 14-ft.-9-in. to 17-ft.-3-in. on the westbound lanes. The improvements help mitigate bridge strikes caused by over height vehicles and enhance safety for NYSTA employees and motorists.
In addition, other safety upgrades included full depth pavement reconstruction of the Townline Road approaches to I-90, a rebuild of I-90's shoulders under the bridge, new safety guiderails, the installation of a fence to prevent blowing snow, a pedestrian sidewalk and several drainage structures along Townline Road.
The contractor for that bridge replacement was Tioga Construction Co. Inc., located in Herkimer, N.Y.
Rehabilitation of Interchange 34A Bridge
A $3.9 million project to overhaul the I-90 East Interchange 34A (Syracuse — Chittenango — Oswego — I-481) bridge over the Thruway onto northbound I-481 at milepost 276.58 in Onondaga County began earlier in 2025 and was also completed in November.
The ramp bridge was originally constructed in 1973 and carries approximately 10,000 vehicles per day, NYSTA noted.
Rehabilitating bridges on the Thruway system keeps the structures safe and in serviceable condition while extending their service lives. As part of this project, the bridge now has an extended service life of approximately 25 to 35 years.
To upgrade the structure, crews from Slate Hill Constructors Inc. of Warners, N.Y., made full and partial depth deck repairs, substructure fixes and installed a new waterproofing membrane, asphalt wearing surface and new joints. Other work included concrete repairs on the ramp lanes, mill and inlay asphalt on the ramp shoulders and asphalt overlay on ramp lanes and shoulders.
Additional safety upgrades such as new guiderails and reflective striping were also put in place on the project.
New York Thruway Set Standard for Interstate Highways
New York State's Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, built in the early 1950s, is one of the oldest components of the National Interstate Highway System and one of the longest toll roads in the nation. The maintenance and operation of the Thruway system is funded primarily by tolls. The NYSTA does not receive any dedicated federal, state or local tax dollars; rather, it is paid for by those who drive the Thruway, including one-third of motorists from out of state.
In 2024, the NYSTA processed more than 400 million toll transactions and motorists drove 8.2 billion miles on the toll road.
Its 2025-2029 Capital Plan invests $2.7 billion into infrastructure and equipment, an increased commitment of $742 million, or 38 percent since the approval of a multi-year toll adjustment plan in 2023. The increased investment will lead to work on approximately 61 percent of the Thruway's more than 2,800 pavement lane miles as well as the replacement or rehabilitation of 20 percent of its 819 bridges.
