Nearly $42 million will be spent to improve travel on Interstate 88 in New York. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that two major projects will focus on rehabilitating key stretches of the highway in Schoharie and Otsego counties. The improvements aim to enhance safety and resiliency along a road that connects the Capital Region with the Catskills and the Southern Tier.

The first project, valued at $15.7 million, will rehabilitate a 5.5-mile stretch of the highway from the Schoharie/Otsego County line to Exit 20 in Richmondville, Schoharie County. The existing concrete surface will be overlaid with a two-inch fiber-reinforced top course of asphalt for smoother travel, and road joints will be repaired. This year, the eastbound lanes will be resurfaced, with work on the westbound lanes planned for 2026. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the 2026 construction season, according to Governor Hochul's announcement.

The second project, costing $26 million, is already underway. It involves resurfacing a 4.3-mile stretch of I-88 between Exits 18 and 19 in Worcester and Maryland, Otsego County. This project also includes repairing 10 culverts and installing new guide rails. The bridges over South Hill Road will undergo bearing and pedestal replacements. Construction on this section is expected to finish later this year.

Once these projects are complete, only one original concrete stretch of I-88 will remain, with plans for its rehabilitation in the design phase. New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez highlighted the importance of these projects, stating they will provide smoother travel and enhance the safety and resiliency of the infrastructure along this vital highway, facilitating economic growth for local communities.

Senator Charles Schumer and Representative Josh Riley praised the projects, noting that they will improve traffic flow, create jobs, and strengthen local economies. The improvements will also benefit tourists traveling to popular destinations like the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and Howe Caverns in Cobleskill, as reported by IMPRINT and CNY Business Journal.

The Herd with Colin Cowherd