Governor Hochul Announces New Measures to Mitigate Bridge Strikes in Upstate New York

View the full press release here.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that new measures are being implemented this week in the Capital Region and Central New York intended to reduce collisions with low-clearance railroad bridges. These new safety enhancements, put in place by New York State Department of Transportation, are being employed along the Onondaga Lake Parkway in the Village of Liverpool and the Town of Salina, Onondaga County, and along Glenridge Road in the Town of Glenville, Schenectady County. Both roads travel under railroad bridges with posted clearances of 10 feet 9 inches and 10 feet 11 inches, respectively.

“The measures being put in place this week will help calm traffic and provide clear warnings to truck drivers in danger of striking low-clearance overpasses in Upstate New York,” Governor Hochul said. “Bridge strikes create hazardous situations for drivers and first responders and cause unnecessary inconveniences for local communities. These new systems will build on the numerous steps already taken to prevent these needless bridge strikes.”

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Onondaga Lake Parkway

Also known as State Route 370, Onondaga Lake Parkway is located within Onondaga Lake Park and runs along the northern shore of Onondaga Lake, parallel to Old Liverpool Road, between the Interstate 81 interchange and the Village of Liverpool. The CSX-owned railroad bridge near the midpoint of the parkway has been subject to frequent collisions with over-height vehicles.

This week, as part of a series of safety enhancements announced in June 2023, the parkway is being reduced to one lane in each direction, for a distance of 1200 feet on each side of the railroad bridge, which is intended to calm traffic and give over-height vehicles additional time to heed the warning signs and avoid the bridge. The lane restrictions will remain in place as NYSDOT assess their effectiveness and their impact on traffic conditions.

The new enhancements being added augment the nearly 50 countermeasures currently in place along both sides of the bridge, which include signs, flashing beacons, pavement markings, variable message signs, and an electronic over-height vehicle detection system.

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State Senator John W. Mannion said, "I'm hopeful drivers of oversized vehicles are getting the message to stay off the Onondaga Lake Parkway and other roads with low bridges. I applaud Governor Hochul and the Department of Transportation for taking meaningful action to eliminate dangerous low bridge strikes across the state. I look forward to a continued collaboration to study New York's low bridges, collect and analyze data, and make informed decisions that protect public safety."