$32.5 million Rexford Bridge to connect Saratoga and Schenectady Counties

Rendering, Rexford Bridge - Clifton Park, NY

Clifton Park, NY According to governor Andrew Cuomo, the new Rexford Bridge will open to traffic this fall, with work scheduled to resume soon, weather permitting. The $32.5 million design-build project to build a new bridge carrying State Route 146 over the Mohawk River between the towns of Clifton Park in Saratoga County and Niskayuna in Schenectady County. The bridge carries 22,000 motor vehicles per day.

“The Rexford Bridge is a vital link for commuters and visitors to the Capital Region and, as we resume construction this spring, we help ensure that the new bridge opens to traffic on time this fall,” governor Cuomo said. “The safety improvements and structural upgrades to this bridge will help ease congestion while also ensuring its continued viability for years to come.”

The work is being progressed under a design-build contract, which calls for a single team of contractors to be responsible for both designing and building an entire project in order to ensure that coordination is seamless, and that work is completed in the shortest possible time frame. Design-build also provides cost certainty for the state with contractors assuming the risk for project delays and cost overruns.

The new bridge will be wider than the existing bridge, with four lanes — two in each direction — instead of two. A multi-use path will connect Riverview Rd. in Rexford and the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail in Niskayuna. Initial work this season will include delivery and installation of steel for the new bridge.

New York State Department of Transportation commissioner Matthew Driscoll said, “The new bridge and two-lane roundabout will help alleviate the heavy traffic that users of the existing bridge experience daily. Governor Cuomo knows the importance of meeting the needs of all transportation users, and we are doing that with the addition of a new multi-use lane for pedestrians and bicyclists to safely cross the Mohawk River.”

A new roundabout opened in a temporary, single-lane pattern last September on the Niskayuna side of the bridge, at the intersection of Balltown Rd. (Rte. 146), Aqueduct Rd. and Williams St.. When the new bridge opens to traffic, the roundabout will be opened in its permanent, two-lane configuration.

Rte. 146 between the new roundabout and Riverview Rd. in Rexford is being reconstructed as a four-lane roadway, and intersection improvements will be made at Route 146 and Riverview Rd., one-half mile north of the bridge.

Senator Jim Tedisco said, “The new Rexford Bridge is a project that many people are eager to see completed. The Rexford Bridge is a critical connector in the 49th Senate District for travelers and workers who commute between Schenectady and Saratoga Counties every day and the small businesses that rely on it for commerce. Once completed, this new bridge will help ease traffic congestion and make that commute just a little easier for the thousands of people who cross the Mohawk River on a daily basis.”

Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh said, “Ensuring that infrastructure throughout the state is maintained and renovated as needed is critically important to the travel safety of morning commuters, school bus drivers and visitors alike. I applaud the governor for his commitment to making these improvements a priority for communities throughout the state, and know residents of the 112th Assembly District, myself included, greatly anticipate the completion of Rexford Bridget this fall.”

Assemblyman Phil Steck said, “The Rexford Bridge is a major source of congestion for people traveling to and from Saratoga and Schenectady Counties. We are of course thrilled that the Department of Transportation has made reconstruction of the bridge a priority. DOT is very responsive to our office in the effort to meet the transportation needs of the Capital Region.”

Clifton Park town supervisor Phil Barrett said, “The town of Clifton Park commends NYSDOT for working diligently to complete the Rexford Bridge Project as quickly as possible, while minimizing impacts to motorists and residents.  As the next phase of construction begins,  we will remain in close contact with DOT officials and disseminate important information on a timely basis.”

Work began in late 2015 on the new bridge, which is being built directly to the west of the existing structure. After the new bridge opens, work will continue on the project, including removal of the old bridge and on- and off-road work on both bridge approaches. The project is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2017.

The project will be completed in accordance with the requirements of governor Cuomo’s Drivers First Initiative, which prioritizes the convenience of motorists and ensures that disruptions are kept at a minimum for drivers at highway and bridge projects across the state.

Motorists must use caution when traveling through the work zone and are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver’s license.