Airport Connector work under way

Q: What’s with all the stone and dirt being dropped off on the Northway near Exit 4? Are they constructing an off ramp for the airport? How long will work/delays take? — Jeff Carr, Colonie

A: It’s all part of the new Exit 4 project to create the Albany Airport Connector, Jeff.

So says Bryan Viggiani, a spokesman for the New York state Department of Transportation.

“Work is of course under way for the $50 million Albany Airport Connector at Exit 4 of the Northway in the town of Colonie,” Viggiani said.

The project is a full redesign and reconfiguration of Exit 4 to bring drivers exiting I-87 closer to Albany International Airport and to ease traffic congestion.

Work is expected to be completed in spring 2020.

The money is coming from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $100 billion Infrastructure Renewal Plan, and the contract is being managed by the DOT.

Tully Construction Co. has begun site work preparation for the project, which includes a flyover bridge to carry northbound traffic off the Northway to a new intersection with Albany Shaker Road closer to the airport.

Watch for single-lane closures on the Northway near Exit 4 and Albany Shaker Road during off-peak daytime hours Monday through Friday, for off-road work. Drivers should continue to watch for off-peak lane reductions as the project continues, the DOT said.

Additional improvements include a new southbound off-ramp that connects with the flyover ramp, and an extension of the on-ramp on the northbound side near the Times Union building that will essentially turn that stretch of the Northway into a four-lane highway as far as the Route 155 interchange, giving drivers more distance in which to merge.

A noise wall is also planned on the northbound side between exits 4 and 5.

An estimated 40,000 vehicles use Exit 4 each day, and an estimated 102,000 vehicles use the Northway daily in that area.