All Over Albany

Glad that we're going to keep the bridges from collapsing (we ARE going to do that, right?), but man, am I feeling hemmed in. With Rensselaer's Broadway, the Dunn, and I-787 under construction, my only eastbound road closed for construction of a roundabout, and possible work on the Patroon Island, living on the Rensselaer side is temporarily quite inconvenient.

Kudos to DOT for keeping the Dunn open to bicycles and pedestrians, and for pouring a little path through the roughness on Broadway. These days the bike is definitely faster than car or bus.

... said Carl on Apr 17, 2012 at 5:01 PM | link

I'm sorry to hear the state is doubling down on the 787 in its current format. I thought there were better options but instead we'll keep overpaying for a monstrous riverside highway.

... said Joe on Apr 17, 2012 at 11:17 PM | link

The elevated portion from the I90 interchange to the Clinton Ave. Exit should be in the process of demolition, not repair.

Don't get me wrong, I am in awe of the engineering and construction that went into making this and the 3 giant, tiered interchanges, the Dunn Bridge and ESP and find them to be fascinating, from a historical and structural point of view.

The true irony in this is that the system that was soooo overbuilt in anticipation of additional highways and arterials that were never completed (http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2011/03/08/the-highway-that-was-almost-buried-under-washingto), and has always had more than enough capacity as a result, is now congested because we insist on keeping it in its present form, unneeded bridges and interchanges to nowhere repaired along with the parts we actually drive on.

... said Dan Palmer on Apr 18, 2012 at 9:45 AM | link

Carl, I feel you. I live and work in Albany, but I still feel like everywhere I turn, there's a major construction project.

I'm so glad that all of these projects are happening--we really need better, safe, smoother roads, and the projects are keeping people working, but I wish they weren't all happening at once.

I propose that we all automatically get to be 20 minutes late to everything this summer because of the construction. Who's with me???

... said SiobhanGK on Apr 18, 2012 at 11:16 AM | link

I think the headline is a bit misleading. This is NOT construction - rather, it's routine maintenance.

$20+ million, just to maintain this albatross. I'm willing to stake $20 that before this project is over, evidence of a future multimillion dollar repair will spring up.

... said daleyplanit on Apr 18, 2012 at 12:24 PM | link

Daleyplanit, I agree. I can't believe we are sink all this money into 787 without more public comment on whether we should just overhaul the whole thing. The powers that be most likely assume that if they plow enough money into "repairs/maintenance" no one will question significantly modifying it (like a boulevard to open the water way up to the residents of Albany). If you look at the current 5 year statewide transportation improvement plan (STIP) for the Capital Region (FY2011-FY2015), which highlights the anticipated investments for parts of I-787, it comes to approximately $48 million. Again, where is the public input on reforming this artery before we sink this much tax payer money into it. Here is the link to the STIP to keep me honest:

https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/stip/files/R1.pdf

... said Rich on Apr 18, 2012 at 1:09 PM | link

I'm with Dan Palmer. Overbuilt. Too many raised ribbons of ramps in downtown Albany and to the ESP, most of which should be torn down, including the Dunn bridge. It should be reconfigured much more simply, at a people and bike friendly level. It would be less expensive in the long run. 787 is not really the problem, its all the multitude of high flying ramps and ways to get on and off 787. Get rid of those and the waterfront opens up.

... said Dan on Apr 18, 2012 at 1:44 PM | link

Sit back and enjoy the backed up traffic on 787... that's what it will be like every day in the ideal alternate-realty when it's converted into a boulevard! Oh wait, no it won't because everyone will move to the Central Warehouse or something and never drive again. I always forget that part.

... said RealityCheck on Apr 18, 2012 at 1:53 PM | link

If you spend any amount of time as a pedestrian in downtown albany, its massively clear that the elevated highways have completely ruined the city. I dont care what needs to be done to take care of the traffic problem. They need to go. They are comically massive, hideous structures that coat everything near them in a layer of fine black soot. Underneath thier multiple football field sized footprints are asphault wastelands. Commuters... your concerns come second to Albany citizens.

... said Joe on Apr 19, 2012 at 3:52 AM | link

Well said, Joe!

... said Dan on Apr 19, 2012 at 1:45 PM | link

Not to mention that they exist on the most valuable real estate in the city. Just think about an albany actually built to the river. It would completely transform the downtown and the city.

... said Joe on Apr 20, 2012 at 1:14 AM | link

they should post better speed reduction signs earlier, already been a pile of crashes at the merge

... said driver on Jan 21, 2015 at 7:59 PM | link

Can we please make the left lane on 787 south go all the way to the end why does it have to merge because it always ends up with people sitting in the middle lane and people come flying up on that left side and cut in front of everybody that's been waiting I see that there is enough room to do that also I think it would make everything better because the people in the left lane turning left when they get to the end at the light that's what I'm doing!

... said Christina on Nov 13, 2015 at 12:46 PM | link