New York State Thruway Authority’s $355 Million cashless tolling project now operational
Design-build project reduces congestion and improves safety by removing toll booths from 450 miles of roadway
Albany, NY-TSX, NYSE: STN: Stantec, along with project partners Cashless Tolling Constructors, LLC and KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. celebrate a significant milestone as the New York State Thruway Authority’s (NYSTA) $355 million project to implement cashless tolling along 450 miles of roadway is now operational. As part of the design-build project, 70 steel gantries were installed along the roadway to capture E-ZPass tag or license plate data from passing vehicles. Next year, existing toll booths will be removed at 52 Thruway interchanges and barriers to complete the project.
An expanding efficient network
Cashless tolling has gained a stronghold in recent years, with more than half the nation’s tolled roadways now operating solely on a cashless basis, according to the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association. Cashless tolling was already in place at several downstate locations of the New York State Thruway, including the Lower Hudson Valley Fixed Toll Barriers and the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. This project extends the system’s benefits to the remaining sections of the Thruway, from the Hudson Valley to Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and beyond.
“The implementation of cashless tolling on the New York State Thruway is a tremendous benefit to the more than 267 million motorists that travel the roadway each year who will no longer need to wait in line at the toll booth or slow down for the E-ZPass lane,” said Rob Cartwright, Senior Principal at Stantec. “As part of the design-build team helping to deliver this complex project, we’re proud to play a role in designing enhancements that will improve traffic, boost safety, and modernize the state’s roadways for the future of mobility.”
Stantec and KC Engineering served as the lead designers for the design-build team, supporting Cashless Tolling Constructors, LLC — a consortium of heavy civil contractors including A. Servidone, Inc./B. Anthony Construction Corp., JV, Rifenburg Construction, Inc., and Economy Paving Co., Inc.
“KC Engineering is thrilled to work with longtime partners Stantec, Cashless Tolling Constructors, LLC, and NYSTA on this critical, complex, and unique infrastructure design-build project,” said Raj Ravilla, President at KC Engineering. “As Quality Manager for the project, I am so pleased with the project’s execution by our dedicated team and look forward to the full completion of this exceptional project.”
“Cashless tolling across the New York State Thruway has been discussed for years,” said Mark Servidone on behalf of Cashless Tolling Constructors, LLC. “We are thrilled to see this project reach operational status, on schedule amid COVID-19, nonetheless. Keeping New York moving will be critical to the economic recovery and we are proud to be part of this.”
When fully implemented, the more than 267 million motorists that use the Thruway each year will enjoy hassle-free travel. In addition to the strategic placement of sensor-mounted gantries, the project involves the removal of toll plazas and reduction of the paved areas leading into and out of the plazas, including pavement repairs, positive separation of traffic flow, and elimination of conflicting traffic moves. While the new system is now operational, this removal and modification work will continue into 2021.
A longstanding relationship with the New York State Thruway Authority
Stantec has been a decades-long partner in the modernization of New York’s tolling system and the evolution of the Thruway. The firm’s experts were an important part of the implementation of E-ZPass on the Thruway in the early 1990s, and have led traffic and revenue reports, surveys, and mobility and modernization studies that have contributed to the highway tolling program’s success. Stantec has also been involved in numerous design projects for the New York State Thruway Authority, including the “Last Mile” of the I-95 Reconstruction Project that improved safety along a critical section of the New York to Connecticut roadway, as well as several bridge and highway surface rehabilitations and replacements.
Stantec’s Transportation practice creates the connections that get people and goods moving safely and efficiently—whether by car, bus, train, plane, or their own two feet. Ranked among the top International Design Firms in Transportation by Engineering News-Record, Stantec provides planning, engineering, and infrastructure management services that fit client needs and improve the overall transportation experience. To learn more, visit: stantec.com/transportation.
About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That’s why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.
We’re designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.
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About KC Engineering and Land Surveying
KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC Engineering) has served both public and private clients throughout the NY metro area and Hudson Valley for over 35 years, providing a variety of services including civil, structural, traffic/transportation, geotechnical, and municipal engineering; water supply and wastewater treatment; land development; land surveying; construction inspection; grant administration; quality management; and construction claims and engineering audits. Our success and longevity can be credited to our highly trained and licensed staff of engineers and land surveyors. KC Engineering has several locations, including offices in Circleville, NY as well as in Manhattan, NY.
KC Engineering has prior design-build experience with NYSDOT, MTA, and the West Point Association of Graduates as both Lead Designer and Quality Manager, including on the NYSDOT D900034 Region 8 Bridge Replacements design-build project. We have also participated in significant roles on the NYSDOT D900040 Bruckner Viaduct Replacement and NYSDOT D900043 Kew Gardens Interchange Operational Improvements design-build projects. An ISO 9001:2015 certified firm, KC Engineering is experienced in managing these large, complex projects.
For more information, visit kcepc.com
