A $150 million infrastructure project aimed at alleviating congestion around the town of Woodbury’s Interstate 87 interchange can be sped up by five years, according to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The state is seeking a design-build firm to lead the project.
Cuomo was in the Orange County town on Feb. 25 to announce that the state would try to speed up the timeline for the project, which would help soothe traffic buildups around the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, the 220-store outdoor mall run by Simon Property Group. The corridor, which includes Route 17, I-87 and Route 32, serves more than 70,000 cars per day, according to Cuomo’s office.
The state is looking for a design-build contractor to lead the project. The plan is to expand the Route 32 corridor, replace the Route 32 bridge over Route 17 and reconfigure the ramp leading to I-87. The project would also add a solar-powered bus station, an expanded commuter parking lot and an updated transportation technology system that would adapt to changing traffic conditions.
The state Department of Transportation issued a request for qualifications on Feb. 3. The state DOT will review the applicants and announce a shortlist of design-build firms for the project in mid-April. Those firms will be able to submit proposals, with work scheduled to begin in November and completed by 2019. Original estimates, Cuomo said, targeted 2024 for finishing the project.
Using a design-build process, meaning a single firm both designs and constructs the project, can speed up the project by five years, Cuomo said. The state used a similar process in awarding construction bids for the $3 billion new Tappan Zee bridge project.
“This design-build project will significantly accelerate completion of a streamlined, state-of-the-art transportation network at a critical juncture, creating hundreds of jobs and growing the regional economy by improving access to this vital commercial corridor,” Cuomo said.
