Newburgh Beacon Bridge Construction Update; When Will it End?

The project that feels like it's been going on forever is coming to an end. But just how long will it be until the Newburgh Beacon bridge is finally finished?

Anyone who commutes on I-84 in the Hudson Valley knows the pain of having to travel over the Hudson River. In 2020 New York State Bridge Authority revealed a major redecking plan for the westbound span of the Newburgh Beacon bridge. The project has required a complicated reconfiguration of traffic patterns, with travelers being diverted back and forth from both sides of I-84 depending on the day, eliminating breakdown lanes and causing long delays.

The frustrating backups have become all too common, with many wondering if it will ever end.

How much of the project has been completed?

An update from the NYSBA shows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel (or bridge, in this case). While drivers may not notice much of the progress that has already taken place, the project appears to be on schedule, with much of the work already complete.

One hundred percent of the steel grid panels that hold the bridge together have been installed and seventy-five percent of the deck has been completed. The remaining concrete is expected to be poured over the next two weeks, with the deck expected to be completely finished during the first week of August.

Ninety-five percent of the studs are installed and ninety percent of the barrier reinforcements are complete. The bridge barrier is just over halfway done and is expected to be finished at the end of August.

So, when will the project finally be completed?

When the redecking plan was first revealed to the public, the project was expected to last until the middle of 2023. But, just months after work began it was announced that the construction was moving ahead of schedule, so the timeline was moved up by nine months.

As of now, the project is still on target to be completed in the fall of 2022, which is just a few months away. Phase two of the project, which will install the final deck overlay is expected to begin by the end of August. Once complete, the end will finally be in sight.

So, the next time you're stuck on I-84 take comfort in knowing that the madness will eventually end... just in time for you to get stuck behind a slow-moving snowplow.