Governor Hochul Announces Major Milestone in $30 Million Project on Bruckner Expressway and Hutchinson River Parkway in the Bronx

 

New Entrance Ramp from Eastbound Pelham Parkway to Northbound Bruckner Expressway (I-95) Will Be Open to Traffic

  Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of a new entrance ramp from eastbound Pelham Parkway to northbound Bruckner Expressway I-95, marking a milestone for the New York State Department of Transportation's $30 million project which is enhancing safety and mobility on the northbound Bruckner Expressway I-95 and the northbound Hutchinson River Parkway in the Bronx. The new quarter-mile entrance ramp from eastbound Pelham Parkway to northbound Bruckner Expressway I-95 will be open to traffic today, replacing two entrance ramps from eastbound and westbound Pelham Parkway to northbound I-95, creating a better traffic merge for motorists entering the highway and reducing traffic delays.

"This project milestone along the Bruckner Expressway reaffirms our commitment to enhancing safety on highways across New York City,” Governor Hochul said. "Once completed, this project will provide a safe and seamless commute for motorists that for too long have had to contend with heavy traffic at this northeastern portion of the Bronx."

The overall project, located in the vicinity of the Bruckner Expressway/Pelham Parkway interchange and the northbound Hutchinson River Parkway between the Bruckner Expressway overpass and the Bartow Avenue underpass, is slated for completion in the fall of 2024.

The eastbound Pelham Parkway ramp to northbound I-95 has already been removed and the westbound Pelham Parkway ramp to northbound I-95 is scheduled to be removed by the end of this month. A third ramp (Exit 8C), from northbound I-95 to westbound Pelham Parkway, was also removed and replaced with a new traffic configuration allowing motorists to use the existing Shore Road exit to access westbound Pelham Parkway.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, "The completion of this new entrance ramp to the Bruckner Expressway is a major step in our goal to improve connections and traffic flow between New York City highways, local roads, and residential areas. While this is one milestone in a large project, it's an important one, and we will continue to work every day to improve our transportation infrastructure - its resiliency and its sustainability - now and for the future."

The $30 million project also includes the ongoing construction of two new signalized intersections on Pelham Parkway with dedicated left turn lanes, which, once completed, will allow motorists on westbound Pelham Parkway to access the new entrance ramp to northbound I-95 and allow eastbound Pelham Parkway traffic to access the existing entrance ramp to southbound I-95. A new exit ramp from northbound Hutchinson River Parkway to Bartow Avenue will also be added to provide better access to Co-op City, which is comprised of 15,372 residential units and is the largest single residential development in the United States.

Other improvements that will enhance safety and provide motorists/bicyclists/pedestrians with better visibility include realigned bicycle-pedestrian paths closer to Pelham Parkway, new signalized crossings compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and new LED lights where paths cross highway ramps.

In addition, the project will enhance landscaping and planting of vegetation in the vicinity of Bronx Victory Memorial and Memorial Grove (part of Bronx Pelham Bay Park), implement new sustainable stormwater management practices, install new catch basins, erect a new sign in the Bronx Victory Memorial Plaza that provides a brief history about the Victory Memorial, resurface pavement, install new pavement markings, drainage systems, LED highway lighting, a retaining wall along the new entrance ramp at the I-95/Pelham Parkway interchange, and new curbs and guiderails throughout the project limits.