A $161 million rehabilitation of seven bridges along the Grand Central Parkway in Queens has been completed, extending the life of structures that carry approximately 300,000 vehicles daily for another 40 years.
Gov. Kathy Hochul this week announced the completion of the project, which spans the parkway between Union Turnpike and Commonwealth Boulevard. The work is part of a $34.5 billion five-year capital plan by the state Department of Transportation to improve transportation infrastructure throughout New York.
The project replaced concrete bridge decks on three structures and made significant repairs and structural upgrades to four others. The bridges, built in the 1970s, received work aimed at enhancing safety, improving mobility and increasing resiliency along the corridor.
“For nearly a century, the Grand Central Parkway has served as one of New York City’s most vital travel corridors and this rehabilitation safely preserves these parkway bridges for decades to come,” Hochul said.
Three bridges received full replacements of concrete bridge decks, pedestals and steel bearings. Those bridges carry the parkway over Winchester Boulevard and Cross Island Parkway, Vanderbilt Parkway and the ramp from northbound Cross Island Parkway to westbound Grand Central Parkway. Workers also repaired structural steel beams, concrete on pier columns and abutments, applied new paint and replaced bridge railings with concrete barriers.
The remaining four bridges received upgrades to improve their condition and extend their service life. Those include the bridge carrying the parkway over Union Turnpike, two bridges carrying the westbound service road over the northbound and southbound Cross Island Parkway, and the ramp from southbound Cross Island Parkway to eastbound Grand Central Parkway over Alley Pond Road.
The American Society of Civil Engineers recently awarded the initiative its Innovative Delivery Project of the Year Award. The project, which started in February 2024, used the design-build delivery method, where the same team completed both final design and construction.
Sen. Charles Schumer said federal investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Law helped fund the rehabilitation.
“I’m proud to support the federal funding to make projects like this a reality, creating jobs and boosting the economy while upgrading our infrastructure, and ensuring safe and reliable travel for hundreds of thousands of cars that use the corridor daily,” he said.