No timeline yet for rebuilding South Nyack overpass; damage led to Thruway, bridge closing

Alexandra Rivera, Rockland/Westchester Journal News
·2 min read

The damaged portions of an overpass in South Nyack were removed Saturday while a section of the southbound Thruway and the Cuomo Bridge were closed to traffic, but it's not yet known when a new overpass will be rebuilt.

The South Broadway overpass reopened to alternating traffic on Sunday night, when a sidewalk also reopened to pedestrians.

Alternating traffic will continue until further notice, said a spokesperson for the New York State Thruway Authority.

The South Nyack overpass over the New York State Thruway was reopened Sunday after emergency repairs were made to the structure. The overpass, photographed Sept. 11, 2023, was badly damaged Aug. 31 when it was hit by a truck that was too high to fit under the structure.
The South Nyack overpass over the New York State Thruway was reopened Sunday after emergency repairs were made to the structure. The overpass, photographed Sept. 11, 2023, was badly damaged Aug. 31 when it was hit by a truck that was too high to fit under the structure.

The overpass was damaged on Aug. 31 when an over-height tractor carrying steel beams crashed into it. The damage was serious enough that the Thruway Authority decided that sections needed to be quickly removed, leading to the closing of southbound Thruway lanes from Exit 12 in West Nyack across the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge to Exit 9 in Tarrytown from midnight Saturday until 4:30 p.m.

Part of the overpass' concrete deck and two damaged 100-foot girders were removed, according to a post from the Thruway Authority on X, formerly known as Twitter.

While the Thruway was closed, commuters looking to cross the Hudson River from Rockland were diverted to the Bear Mountain Bridge in Orange County and the George Washington Bridge in New Jersey.

New York State Thruway workers repair the South Broadway overpass in South Nyack on Sept. 8, 2023, after an over-height truck struck the overpass on Aug. 31, 2023. The repairs led to the 16-hour closure of the southbound Thruway and Tappan Zee/Cuomo Bridge.
New York State Thruway workers repair the South Broadway overpass in South Nyack on Sept. 8, 2023, after an over-height truck struck the overpass on Aug. 31, 2023. The repairs led to the 16-hour closure of the southbound Thruway and Tappan Zee/Cuomo Bridge.

The Thruway Authority announced the project only 30 hours before the closures, meaning that some commuters would be caught off guard by having to change routes. However, the Thruway Authority said Monday that traffic delays were reduced by coordination with the state Department of Transportation and Rockland County.

"There were no reports of significant delays on our [Thruway] system or local roads during the emergency closure," a spokesperson for the Thruway Authority said. "This is a great example of state and local government coordination at all levels to ensure the safety of the public and an efficient emergency repair operation."

The Thruway Authority said it is working with the state Department of Transportation to determine the best options for making permanent repairs to the overpass.

A tractor trailer accident slows traffic on the New York State Thruway in South Nyack on Thursday, August 31, 2023.
A tractor trailer accident slows traffic on the New York State Thruway in South Nyack on Thursday, August 31, 2023.

When the time comes for construction, the Thruway Authority does not expect another full road closure. It's likely that a few lanes at a time would be closed overnight, the spokesperson said.

"Most bridge construction utilizes staged lane closures, typically overnight when traffic volumes are lowest in our New York Division," the spokesperson said.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: damaged south nyack ny overpass reopens but still must be rebuilt