NY Halts Construction Project Lane Closures During Busiest Travel Week

The Wednesday preceding and the Sunday following Thanksgiving are typically two of the busiest days on the New York State Thruway system, with the heaviest travel periods between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. on those days.

Drivers on New York State highways will be joining an enormous crowd. AAA predicts that nearly 49 million people will travel more than 50 miles from home from Wednesday through Sunday, and more than 89 percent of those travelers will be driving.

That number is up an estimated 2 percent over last year and is the highest number of expected Thanksgiving travelers since 2007.

To deal with all those cars, New York has put a moratorium on temporary lane closures associated with road and bridge construction projects on state highways starting at 6 a.m. on Wednesday and going through 6 a.m. on Monday.

"Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year and we are committed to doing everything in our power to ease congestion and inconvenience to drivers during this holiday weekend," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in an announcement about the moratorium. "By putting Drivers First and reducing lane closures and the traffic and delays that come with them, millions of travelers will be able to get where they need to go quicker and with less aggravation."

Motorists are also reminded of New York’s critically important "Move Over" law, which requires drivers to use due care, slow down and safely move over when they see flashing lights on the side of the road.

Ensuring that more lanes remain open is in keeping with the Drivers First program, which prioritizes the convenience of motorists to minimize traffic congestion and travel delays due to road and bridge work.

"Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and while for many that involves travel, it does not have to involve congestion caused by road construction," New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Matthew J. Driscoll said. "We encourage all travelers to check 511NY before departing and join with Governor Cuomo in wishing all New Yorkers a Happy Thanksgiving."

Some work may continue behind permanent concrete barriers or for emergency repairs.

There will be slight variations for certain Thruway projects based on previous traffic volume. A detailed schedule of Thruway lane closures throughout the holiday weekend is available here.

The Thruway is prepared to handle the additional traffic volume. Thruway travelers are encouraged to sign-up for TRANSalerts to receive real-time traffic alerts or follow @ThruwayTraffic on Twitter.

Travelers are encouraged to check 511NY by calling 511 or by accessing www.511ny.org before departing. The free service allows users to check road conditions or link to air and transit information.

Mobile users can download the free 511NY mobile app from the iTunes or Google Play stores. The app now features Drive mode, which provides audible alerts along a chosen route while a user is driving, warning them about incidents and construction. Users can set a destination prior to departing and receive information on up to three routes.