Whitestone widening cuts delays

The Whitestone Bridge is giving frustrated drivers a reason to smile this holiday season with a new expanded traffic configuration.
The widening project will result in a third lane being opened on both sides of the bridge during peak driving hours to cut down on delays and travel time. The construction began on Monday, November 8 and the extra lanes will remain open for the entire holiday season and early into the New Year.
In order to accommodate for the third lanes being opened, some construction and lane closures will be necessary early on in the project. One southbound lane heading to Queens will be closed until Friday, November 12 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Drivers are advised to use the Throgs Neck Bridge as a detour for the remainder of this work.
In addition to this construction, work continues on the Bronx end of the bridge to replace the 71-year old roadway. The four-year long project, at an estimated cost of nearly $200 million, is said to be on schedule with about 65 percent of the work finished.
The renovation on the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge began in 2008 by the Conti Group, a New York based construction company. So far in their work to rebuild more than 1,700 feet of the 2,300 foot long bridge, 15 new double-arch concrete piers have been built under the Bronx side of the roadway with the goal of supporting wider lanes and emergency shoulders.
“We appreciate our customers’ patience while we are doing this important work,” said the MTA’s acting Facility Engineer Christopher Saladino. “Once the work is completed the bridge will be stronger and viable for decades to come.”
For more information on the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge construction project, visit the MTA’s website at www.mta.info.