Construction work of a $47.6m infrastructure improvement project has completed on the one-mile-long Castleton-On-Hudson Bridge in New York across the Hudson River between Albany and Rensselaer counties.

This three-year project included deck replacement of the westbound traffic lanes, deck repairs, application of an asphalt overlay in the eastbound routes, besides bridge steel repair works, centre median replacement, and implementation of other safety measures.

New York City Governor Kathy Hochul said: “New York continues to make historic investments to rebuild and strengthen our transportation infrastructure across our state.

“Thousands of New Yorkers and companies rely on the Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge every day. With this rehabilitation project now complete, this vital gateway can better serve and connect communities in the region for years to come.”

Castleton-On-Hudson Bridge, also known as the Castleton Bridge, became functional in 1958 and extends roughly one mile, linking the Berkshire Spur segment to the mainline of the Thruway.

About 6.2 million annually, or 17,000 vehicles each day, travel over this iconic blue steel bridge.

In April 2023, the Thruway Authority was granted a $21m federal grant as part of the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Investment Programme to further fund the Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge’s renovation.

The grant will supplement the cost of another project to replace the eastbound bridge deck and undertake steel repairs and maintenance of safety features.

This funding will be directly applied to offset the cost to replace the eastbound bridge deck, which is expected to cost around $30m. The replacement of eastbound bridge deck work is anticipated to commence in spring (March to May) 2024.

Following the completion of the two improvement projects, the expected service life of the iconic bridge will be extended by another five decades.