New Meadow Hill Road bridge opens in Newburgh after $7.8 million rebuild

Meadow Hill Road traffic in Newburgh now has a wider, safer path over the Thruway. The rebuilt bridge reopened to traffic Friday, June 12, giving motorists an 11-foot lane in each direction, a new sidewalk on the north side and more overhead room for trucks and other tall vehicles crossing I-87.

The $7.8 million project replaced a 72-year-old span at milepost 60.95 with a structure designed to last another 75 years. Vertical clearance over the Thruway increased from 14 feet 3 inches to 16 feet 10 inches, a change meant to reduce bridge strikes and make the crossing more reliable for the roughly 4,100 vehicles that use it each day.

The new Meadow Hill Road bridge is built in two spans with 14 steel girder sections ranging from 86 to 120 feet long. Along with the wider travel lanes, the redesign adds a 6-foot shoulder on the south side and a 5-foot shoulder on the north side that includes a 5-foot-5-inch sidewalk, improving access for people on foot as well as for drivers moving between neighborhoods in the Town of Newburgh.

The bridge had been announced for replacement on June 2, 2025, and the old span closed to traffic on Friday, June 13, 2025. During construction, drivers used local detours that were each under five miles, a temporary inconvenience that state officials said was necessary to fix a chronic bottleneck over the Thruway.

Governor Kathy Hochul said the project fit the state’s effort to modernize transportation infrastructure. Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said the reopening was timed for the busy summer travel season. State Sen. Rob Rolison said the new span improves safety, connectivity and long-term regional economic growth, while Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson said the update was finished in less than a year despite the disruption to nearby residents.

Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors, Inc. of Glenmont, N.Y., built the replacement, which also includes guiderail and fresh pavement striping. The Meadow Hill Road reopening was the second major Thruway bridge finished in the Hudson Valley in just over six weeks, following the North Avenue bridge over I-95 in New Rochelle.