Executive Summary
This report documents the results of the Albany Corridor Study, which was initiated to identify the needs and extent of improvements required over the next 20 years on the New York State Thruway between Interchanges 21A and 25A. Chapter I briefly describes the scope of the study and provides contact information for comments and questions pertaining to the study. In Chapter II, the report presents the needs and objectives that were established based on analysis of the current conditions and future traffic volumes. Chapter III presents various concepts that were developed to meet the needs identified in Chapter II, and Chapter IV identifies the potential social, economic and environmental issues associated with the various concepts. Chapter V provides comparison tables for the various concepts developed.
The Thruway Authority engaged in extensive public outreach as part of the Corridor Study. These efforts included development of a Project Advisory Committee consisting of representatives from municipalities within the corridor and local, State, and Federal agencies. There were also meetings with the general public and development of a Web site open to the general public. Chapter VI of this report documents the public outreach, summarizes the comments received through the outreach efforts, and provides responses to the comments.
Corridor Needs:
The Albany Corridor Study has identified the following needs over the next 20 years:
- Additional capacity at Interchanges 23, 24, 25, and 25A
- Relocation of the tandem lots at Interchanges 23, 24, and 25A to improve safety
- Additional capacity on the Thruway mainline from Interchange 22 to 25
- Reconstruction of the Thruway mainline pavement from Interchange 21A to 25A
- Regularly scheduled bridge items such as painting, repairs, rehabilitation, and replacement
Capacity needs are identified based on when traffic volumes are expected to exceed the capacity of the toll plazas or Thruway mainline lanes. Pavement improvement needs are identified based on the condition of the existing pavement structure and maintenance history. Bridge improvement needs are identified in the Thruway’s 20-year bridge plan based on bridge inspection data and maintenance history. Following are the identified needs and when they occur. Projects to address the identified needs may be programmed before or after the dates the needs occur depending on the availability of funding and other priorities in the corridor.
Interchange (Toll Collection) Capacity Needs:
Interchange 23, 2019
Interchange 24, 2002
Interchange 25, 2002
Interchange 25A, 2017
Tandem Lot Relocation Needs:
Interchanges 23, 24 and 25A. This work is a prerequisite to removal of the existing tandem lots, which is included in several of the Interchange improvement concepts.
Mainline Capacity Needs:
Between Interchanges 22 and 23, 2010
Between Interchanges 23 and 24, 2005
Between Interchanges 24 and 25, 2003
Mainline Pavement Improvement Needs:
Between Interchanges 21A and 22, 2010
Between Interchanges 22 and 23, 2010
Between Interchanges 23 and 24, 2004
Between Interchanges 24 and 25, 2006
Between Interchange 25 and 25A, 2009
Bridge Improvement Needs:
15 bridges require repainting and/or metalizing
10 bridges require stripping the existing pavement overlay, repairing and sealing the bridge deck, and applying a pavement overlay
1 bridge requires vertical clearance improvements
4 bridges require joint replacement
2 bridges require replacement
Concepts Developed to Address the Identified Needs:
Various concepts have been developed to address the needs identified within the Albany Corridor study area. The following feasible design concepts are presented in Chapter III of this document:
- Interchange (Toll Plaza) Capacity Concepts
- Mainline Barrier Concepts
- Tandem Lot Concepts
- Mainline Capacity Concepts
- Mainline Pavement Improvement Concepts
- Bridge Improvement Concepts
The interchange capacity needs are addressed by either the Interchange (Toll Plaza) Capacity Concepts or the Mainline Barrier Concepts, not both. The Interchange (Toll Plaza) Capacity Concepts address capacity deficiencies at the existing toll plaza locations by reconstructing the interchanges to provide additional toll lanes. The Mainline Barrier Concepts address capacity needs by removing the existing toll plazas and replacing them with toll barriers on the Thruway mainline. Both the Interchange Capacity and Mainline Barrier Concepts would also increase capacity of toll lanes by providing higher speed E-ZPass lanes at the toll booths.
The Interchange Capacity Concepts increase the toll plaza capacity at Interchanges 23, 24, 25, and 25A by increasing the number of toll booths. Toll plaza capacity is also increased at Interchange 24 through the use of direct E-ZPass only connections to bypass the existing toll booths. Each of these concepts also increase the capacity of each E-ZPass lane by raising the allowable speed through the toll plaza for E-ZPass vehicles through the construction of higher speed E-ZPass toll lanes. The higher speed E-ZPass toll lanes result in a need for overhead access for Thruway Authority staff to access the toll booths. The higher speed E-ZPass toll lanes also result in a need for a change in access to the existing tandem lots since vehicles would no longer be allowed to make left-turn movements in or out of the tandem lots. At Interchanges 23, 24, and 25, the increase in capacity necessitates reconstruction of the Thruway ramps to provide adequate length for the expanded toll plaza and control area. Reconstruction at each interchange could be staged in order to meet demand when traffic volumes indicate the need.
The Mainline Barrier Concepts remove the existing toll plazas at each interchange. Instead of paying a toll at the interchanges, vehicles pass through a mainline toll barrier at four locations between Interchanges 22 and 26. The location of the barriers varies between design concepts. The Mainline Barrier Concepts would use highway speed E-ZPass toll collection, removing the need for E-ZPass customers to slow or stop for toll collection at the barriers. Cash customers would still be required to stop at the toll barrier and collect a ticket or pay a toll. Construction of this concept needs to be done all at once and could not be staged.
The Tandem Lot Concepts address safety needs that would result from higher speed E-ZPass toll lanes (which are included in the Interchange Capacity Concepts) by removing the left-in and left-out movements to and from the tandem lots at Interchanges 23, 24 and 25A. Three new locations have been identified. The Tandem Lot Concepts could be constructed independently. However, one or more of the Tandem Lot Concepts would be required prior to removal of the existing tandem lots at Interchanges 23, 24, and 25A.
The Mainline Capacity Concepts provide additional capacity on the Thruway mainline by adding a travel lane in each direction.
The Mainline Pavement Improvement Concepts address the deteriorating condition of the mainline pavement on the Thruway through reconstruction of the existing pavement. The reconstruction concepts between Interchanges 21A and 24 would require construction of a temporary third lane during construction because two travel lanes per direction are required to be open at all times on the Thruway mainline in these areas. The reconstruction could be combined with the mainline widening in these areas to conserve resources by widening the mainline to three lanes instead of constructing a temporary third lane.
The Mainline Pavement and Capacity Improvement Concepts also address the deteriorating condition of the mainline pavement through reconstruction of the existing pavement. However, these concepts also provide for capacity improvements by adding a travel lane in each direction to be made simultaneously with the pavement reconstruction. These concepts should be considered along sections of the Thruway where both pavement and capacity improvements are warranted.
The Bridge Improvement Concepts identify bridge maintenance and repair work identified by the Authority as being needed prior to 2024. Although this work is shown as occuring in specific years, the work could be programmed before or after the dates shown in Chapter III. Work included in the Bridge Improvement Concepts is separate from the bridge work required as part of the proposed Capacity Improvement Concepts.
Concept Costs:
Preliminary construction costs for each concept are presented in Chapter III. A summary of the range of costs is as follows:
Interchange 23 Concepts - $63 M - $66 M
Interchange 24 Concepts - $67 M - $97 M
Interchange 25 Concepts - $25 M - $37 M
Interchange 25A Concept - $2.5 M
Two Mainline Barrier Concept - $126 M
Four Mainline Barrier Concept - $136 M
Tandem Lot Relocation Concepts - $9 M - $16 M
Mainline Capacity Concepts
Interchanges 22 to 23 - $20 M
Interchanges 23 to 24 - $18 M
Interchanges 24 to 25 - $17 M
Mainline Pavement Improvement Concepts
Interchanges 21A to 22 - $10 M
Interchanges 22 to 23 - $53 M
Interchanges 23 to 24 - $46 M
Interchanges 24 to 25 - $66 M
Interchanges 25 to 25A - $57 M
Mainline Pavement and Capacity Improvement Concepts
Interchanges 22 to 23 - $61 M
Interchanges 23 to 24 - $53 M
Interchanges 24 to 25 - $68 M
Bridge Improvement Concepts
Painting Bridges - $0.03 M - $3.0 M
Repair - $1.0 M
Rehabilitation - $0.3 M - $1.2 M
Replacement -$1.7 M - $2.9 M
Total Capital Improvement Costs:
Interchange Reconstruction - $440 M - $530 M
Mainline Barrier Construction - $408 M - $463 M
The Total Capital Improvement Costs represent a range of costs to reconstruct the interchanges by adding capacity at the existing interchanges or constructing mainline barriers. The costs include work at the interchanges or mainline barriers, tandem lots, mainline capacity improvements, mainline pavement improvements, and bridge improvements. The low value of the range assumes that the Mainline Pavement and Capacity Improvement Concepts will be constructed to minimize project costs by combining the pavement reconstruction and capacity improvements between Interchanges 22 and 25.
Social, Environmental, and Economic Considerations:
Chapter IV of this document identifies potential social, environmental, and economic considerations for each of the concepts. Detailed studies will be completed, as appropriate, in accordance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and/or the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) during preliminary design for concepts that are selected for further study.
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