DOT begins project to replace Route 2 bridge over Posten Kill

BRUNSWICK, N.Y. » New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez recently announced that work is beginning on a $2.6 million project to replace the Route 2 bridge over the Poesten Kill in the town of Brunswick.

The steel truss bridge, built in 1931, carries approximately 4,600 motor vehicles per day and is a connector for motorists linking Brunswick and central and eastern Rensselaer County with the City of Troy.

“All across the Capital Region, DOT is making investments in projects that are vital to improving our infrastructure and the quality of life of local residents,” Dominguez said.

“This bridge is a vital link for many people, from local residents and daily users of Route 2, to visitors of Grafton Lakes State Park and those coming to and from Massachusetts. This new bridge will be a welcome enhancement to both residents and visitors alike,” Dominguez added.

The new bridge will have fivefoot-wide shoulders on both sides, wider than the current two-foot wide shoulders to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. To minimize impacts to traffic, removal of the old bridge and installation of its replacement will be staged to occur on half of the bridge’s length at a time.

Work recently began on the westbound half of the bridge, with work anticipated to switch to the eastbound side of the bridge in August. Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

During the project, traffic will be reduced to a single alternating lane controlled by traffic signals around the clock.

Motorists are reminded to move over a lane, if safely pos

sible, or slow down significantly whenever encountering roadside vehicles displaying red, white, blue, amber or green lights, including maintenance and construction vehicles in work zones.

Motorists are urged to slow down and drive responsibly in work zones and to drive cautiously, and share the road with runners and cyclists. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. Convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver’s license.