Closures coming to South Grand Island bridges

Staff reports

Brace for bridge delays starting Saturday and continuing through this weekend on the southbound South Grand Island Bridge.

The right lane will be closed on the southbound South Bridge this weekend. That means traffic will be reduced to one lane, beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, through 3 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16.

“Significant delays are expected during the scheduled closure,” the State Thruway Authority reported in a news release.

With the expected delays, drivers may want to consider using the North Grand Island Bridges to get on and off Grand Island, the Thruway Authority said.

The closure will allow crews to perform required inspection and routine maintenance work. The inspections are required by the National Bridge Inspection Standards every two years. Routine maintenance on the bridge will also be performed.

Northbound South Bridge is next

Additionally, the northbound South Bridge will experience a lane closure for the two weekends following this weekend’s closure on the southbound South Bridge. Those dates for the northbound span inspection are Sept. 20 and 27-30.

More information will be provided ahead of each closure.

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

To further enhance safety for workers in a work zone, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation establishing the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement pilot. The safety program began in April 2023 and is in effect in various active construction zones on the thruway. Work zones with speed camera enforcement will have clear signage leading up to it, and motorists violating the posted speed limit within the work zone will be fined.

For up-to-date travel information, motorists can download the Thruway Authority’s mobile app at https://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/mobile-app.html. The app is available for free on iPhone and Android devices. Travelers can also visit the Thruway Authority’s interactive travel app at https://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/.

For more information, visit thruway.ny.gov.

Senior Contributing Writer Karen Carr Keefe contributed to this report.