N.Y. Gov. Hochul gives update on this $28.5M Staten Island Expressway project

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After two years, rehabilitation work on bridges over the Staten Island Expressway has finally been completed, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Monday.

Starting in June 2022, the $28.5 million project repaired and rehabilitated two bridges that carried local traffic over the Staten Island Expressway.

The Woolley and Bradley Avenue bridges, each more than 60 years old, both received new bridge decks and structural improvements that are expected to extend their lifespan by another 40 years.

“New York state is committed to rebuilding our infrastructure and ensuring that our transportation network remains safe and reliable, allowing our communities to stay connected and our economy to grow,” Hochul said. “The completion of this project on Staten Island will ease traffic and enhance public safety through this heavily traveled corridor by improving and modernizing these structures, ensuring that people and commerce continue to move easily throughout the borough.”

Beyond extending the viability of the existing structures, the New York state DOT says that the project will reduce the need for future maintenance.

The concrete used in the bridge project will provide better waterproofing protection to the bridge columns and abutments, according to the DOT.

Instead of bridge joints, the new structures will feature link slabs—solid pieces of concrete that do not require regular maintenance and are less vulnerable to moisture.

Work crews have also replaced the approaches to the bridges and lamp posts within the project area.

Additionally, existing curb cuts were upgraded to better comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and accessible traffic signals were installed at the crossings to help blind and visually impaired pedestrians.

To bolster safety, the steel bridge railings were replaced with concrete barriers.

Workers have also repaired the concrete and bricks beneath the structure, upgraded the under-deck and added overhead lighting systems to increase visibility for late-night drivers on Richmond Avenue.