Grand Island, N.Y. (WBEN) - Despite investing slightly more than $120 million on repairing the North and South Grand Island bridges, the state Thruway Authority is looking even further down the road.
Using federally-secured dollars, the authority is poised to start a long term look at the busy bridges that bookend Grand Island with options include more repairs and upgrades or, even, as a very distance possibility replacing both the North and South Grand Island bridges.
It is a wide-open and blank white board, said John Boser, authority director of infrastructure management.
The authority was allocated $1.6 million under the federal Planning & Environmental Linkages program to undertake the study. Boser said the study may take at least two years to complete.
"It will be a road map to the future," Boser said.
The original North and South Grand Island bridge was constructed in 1935 with the second set of spans completed in 1963.
Combined the four bridges handle 45.8 million vehicles annually - and average of 68,000 vehicles per day.
The Thruway Authority is just finishing a $67 million renovation of the North Grand Island bridges and, last month, started a $54 million makeover of the South Grand Island bridges.
The North bridge work started in 2023.
Frank Hoare, authority executive director, said the South bridge work should be completed in 2028.
Overall, the authority is investing $314 million in bridge and road repairs in the Buffalo Division region this year.
"It is important to get these projects done," Hoare said. "Safety is our primary focus."
The New York State Thruway Authority is starting a long-term study for the busy bridges
The New York State Thruway Authority is starting a long-term study for the busy bridges
