Travel Advisory: New Traffic Pattern On Thruway (I-87/I-287) In Rockland County Begins Next Week

Lanes Will Be Shifted in Both the Northbound and Southbound Directions in Suffern

Work to Implement New Northbound Traffic Pattern Will Begin at 7 PM Monday, March 30, and Continue at 7 PM Tuesday, March 31

New Work Zone is Part of $19.4 Million Project to Rehabilitate Two Aging Bridges

The New York State Thruway Authority today announced that a temporary traffic pattern will be in place on the northbound and southbound Thruway (I-87/I-287) in the village of Suffern (Rockland County) beginning next week to accommodate work for an ongoing bridge rehabilitation project. Three travel lanes will remain available in both directions during construction.

The contractor will shift three northbound lanes to the right starting at 7 p.m. Monday, March 30, with a single lane closure. Two lanes will close to traffic at 10 p.m. There will be two brief overnight traffic stops. The work will be completed by 6 a.m. Tuesday.

The contractor will work in the southbound direction, again with two overnight traffic stops, from 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, until 5 a.m. Wednesday, April 1. Following a single lane closure, two lanes will close at 10 p.m. Additionally, the ramp from I-287 in New Jersey to southbound I-87/I-287 will be closed from 10 p.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m. the following morning. Motorists should follow the posted detour to exit 15A (Sloatsburg - Suffern - NY Routes 17 North and 59) to access the southbound Thruway.

In the new traffic pattern, motorists traveling north on the Thruway will be shifted to the right on a portion of the bridge over Route 202 (milepost 29.54) that was rebuilt last year. The work zone is located just before exit 15 (New Jersey - I-287 - NJ Route 17 South).

Motorists traveling south on the Thruway will encounter a lane split—with two lanes on the right and one lane on the left. Construction on the bridge will take place in between the lanes. Motorists should slow down and use caution when traveling through this work zone.

Three travel lanes in each direction will be maintained through the corridor, which sees an estimated 120,000 vehicles daily.

The work is part of a $19.4 million project to rehabilitate two bridges, each more than 70 years old and about a tenth of a mile apart in Suffern. 

Both bridges are located between exit 14B (Airmont - Montebello - Airmont Road) and exit 15. Crews will now resume work on the bridge over Route 202 to repair its concrete substructure and steel superstructure, along with completely replacing the span’s concrete deck and parapets with precast concrete deck panels. 

Crews this year will also build new bridge joints on the span over the Mahwah River (milepost 29.41).

Variable Message Signs will advise drivers of the new traffic pattern. All work is weather dependent and subject to change. 

The project is scheduled to be completed by late 2026.

DeFoe Corp. of Mount Vernon, N.Y. is the project contractor.

Motorists are urged to be alert and follow the posted work zone speed limits. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone.   

The lives of Thruway Authority employees, roadway workers and emergency personnel depend on all of those who travel the highway. Motorists should stay alert and pay attention while driving, slow down in work zones and move over when they see a vehicle on the side of the road. The State’s Move Over Law requires drivers to slow down and move over for all vehicles stopped along the roadway. Safety is a shared responsibility.

For up-to-date travel information, motorists are encouraged to download the Thruway Authority’s mobile app which is available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic and navigation assistance while on the go. Travelers can also visit the Thruway Authority's interactive Traveler Map which features live traffic cameras. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert e-mails, which provide the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway. 

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