Governor Hochul Announces Completion of Meadow Hill Road Bridge Over I-87 in Orange County

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of a $7.8 million project to rebuild the Meadow Hill Road bridge over the Thruway (I-87) in the Town of Newburgh, Orange County. The modern structure replaces a 72-year-old bridge and represents the second major Thruway bridge completed in the Hudson Valley this spring.

The Meadow Hill Road bridge, which is wider than its predecessor, adds a sidewalk and provides increased vertical clearance to improve safety. The span reopened to traffic on Friday, June 12.

"New York State is focused on modernizing its transportation infrastructure," Governor Hochul said."The reopening of the Meadow Hill Road bridge by the Thruway Authority is another example of ensuring that the roads and bridges connecting our communities remain strong and reliable."

New York Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, "In just over six weeks, we have opened two new bridges in the Hudson Valley-the North Avenue bridge over I-95 in New Rochelle and now the Meadow Hill Road bridge over I-87 in Newburgh. Both represent important investments in the future and your toll dollars at work. We thank residents and motorists for their patience during construction, and we are pleased this project was completed in time for the busy summer travel season."

With an anticipated service life of 75 years, the new bridge (located at milepost 60.95) features an 11-foot-wide travel lane in each direction, a 6-foot-wide shoulder on the south side and a 5-foot-wide shoulder with a sidewalk on the north side. The project increased the vertical clearance over the Thruway from 14 feet 3 inches to 16 feet 10 inches, enhancing safety and reducing the risk of bridge hits.

The new bridge is comprised of two spans and 14 steel girder sections, ranging from 86 to 120 feet in length. Safety improvements include guiderail and pavement striping.

Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors, Inc. of Glenmont, N.Y., was the project contractor.

State Senator Rob Rolison said, "The new Meadow Hill Road bridge is the kind of investment that makes a real difference for our community - improving safety, enhancing connectivity and ensuring this critical corridor can meet the needs of residents for decades to come. I appreciate the Thruway Authority's commitment to modernizing infrastructure that supports both local travel and regional economic growth."

Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson said,"Congratulations to the Thruway Authority for completing this project in less than a year. This much-needed update was essential for the safety of traffic crossing the bridge and traveling on the Thruway. Although local residents were temporarily inconvenienced, it was done in record time."

Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said, "Completion of the Meadow Hill Road Bridge over I-87 is great news. The addition of a sidewalk is a welcome improvement allowing for safe pedestrian passage across the new span."

The Thruway Authority's approved 2026 budget invests a total of more than $600 million in capital contracts scheduled to be awarded in 2026, an increase of more than $133.5 million from the 2025 budget projected totals, and one of the largest single-year investments in Thruway history. The 2026 budget includes a historic $2.8 billion Capital Plan for 2026-2030. The five-year plan will fund the replacement or preservation of 150 of the Thruway's 819 bridges-about 18 percent-and the resurfacing of more than 1,500 of its 2,800 lane miles of highway, or roughly 60 percent.

About the Thruway System

Built in the early 1950s, the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway is one of the oldest components of the National Interstate Highway System and one of the longest toll roads in the nation. It sets the standard for modern highway geometric design with safe roadway characteristics including smooth curves, wide medians and unobstructed driver sight distance.

Year after year, the Thruway system is recognized as one of the safest highways in the nation. In 2024, the Thruway-wide fatality rate was 0.22 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, one of the lowest recorded rates on the Thruway system since fatality rates have been documented in 1954. The figure is significantly lower than the nationwide traffic fatality rate for 2024 of 1.20 and the latest New York State traffic fatality rate from 2023 of 0.93.