Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Mar. 17 the start of an $8.2 million project to replace the Malden Turnpike bridge over the Thruway (I-87) in the Village of Saugerties, Ulster County. The bridge, which is 78 years old, is currently closed to traffic for construction and typically serves about 2,000 vehicles per day.
The project aims to modernize a key transportation link and improve safety for both local residents and commercial vehicles that rely on this route. The new structure will have a projected service life of 75 years and include two 11-foot travel lanes with five-foot shoulders, improved riding surfaces, new railings, and increased vertical clearance from 14 feet-two-inches to 16-feet-six-inches.
“New York’s economy is powered by our transportation network, which is why we continue to make smart investments to upgrade and modernize our infrastructure,” Governor Hochul said. “When our roads and bridges are upgraded, we improve the driving experience for daily commuters and the commercial vehicles that New York relies on to move goods and services throughout our state and across the nation.”
Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director of the New York State Thruway Authority, said, “The Thruway Authority is investing in replacing and rehabilitating aging infrastructure, enhancing the safety and reliability of vital connectors in local communities that thousands of motorists use every day. These investments maintain the Thruway as one of the safest and most affordable superhighways in the nation.”
State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Replacing the nearly 80-year-old Malden Turnpike Bridge over I-87 is a critical investment that will give our residents a safer ride and strengthen the long-term resilience of our local infrastructure. I thank Governor Hochul and the Thruway Authority for their continued partnership in prioritizing the modernization of our local roads and bridges here in Ulster County.”
Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger added thanks to state officials for supporting this major investment: “We thank Governor Hochul and the NYS Thruway Authority for making this major investment to replace the Malden Turnpike Bridge and improve safety and reliability of this important connector to Saugerties and the Catskill region of Ulster County. I also want to thank our local officials, emergency services, and community members for their cooperation throughout the construction period. Projects like this strengthen our infrastructure and ensure that Ulster County remains safe, accessible, and prepared for the future.”
The bridge closed on March 16 with completion expected by fall 2026. A seven-mile detour has been established using NY Route 32 South to NYS Route 212, Main Street, US Route 9W north back to Malden Turnpike. Motorists may encounter lane closures during construction; variable message signs are being used for updates.
A. Colarusso & Son Inc., based in Hudson, was selected as contractor after a competitive bidding process. The work schedule depends on weather conditions.
To enhance work zone safety statewide, Governor Hochul signed legislation establishing an Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement pilot program beginning April 2023; violators will be fined via mail based on speed camera enforcement at active sites.
The Thruway Authority’s approved budget invests more than $600 million in capital contracts scheduled for award in 2026—an increase from previous years—and includes a historic $2.8 billion Capital Plan through 2030 aimed at replacing or preserving about one-fifth of its bridges while resurfacing roughly three-fifths of its highway miles.
Built in the early 1950s as part of one of America’s oldest interstate systems—the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway—the system connects cities across New York with more than half a century’s record as one of America’s safest highways.