- NY Thruway Plans Removal Of Overpass Repeatedly Damaged By Trucks
- FHWA Authorizes Display Of EV Charging Symbols On Blue Highway Services Signs
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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NY Thruway Plans Removal Of Overpass Repeatedly Damaged By Trucks
The New York Thruway Authority announced that “the northbound lanes of the Thruway (I-87) from exit 17 in Newburgh to exit 18 in New Paltz will be fully shut down to all traffic at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, for at least 12 hours so a portion of the damaged Brookside Road overpass in New Paltz can be safely removed over the northbound lanes, weather permitting. The Plattekill Service Area will be closed during this operation.” The news release contains details of the repair schedule, a suggested detour route, coordination with other public agencies, and agency efforts to alert truckers and other drivers to the closure. If the work goes as planned, the northbound lanes will reopen to traffic Sunday morning, but those two lanes will be reduced to one through the construction zone. A similar closure on the southbound lanes is scheduled for the following weekend to complete the removal. The overpass, which used to carry one lane of traffic in each direction over the Thruway until it was closed in May, is being removed due to structural damage from repeated strikes (nine in 2023 alone) by over-height vehicles. Overall, reported bridge strikes on the Thruway are up 60 percent since 2022. (TRN inserted a link in quoted text.)
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) New York New York State Thruway AuthorityFHWA Authorizes Display Of EV Charging Symbols On Blue Highway Services Signs
The Boston Globe reports, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has updated its standards for determining what can be displayed on the blue “specific service” signs posted along the nation’s highways. For the first time, the definition of “eligible service categories” includes electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, putting them on a par with gas, food and lodging facilities. When the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) was previously updated in 2009, it only authorized the display of a generic and somewhat confusing EV logo. A 2020 proposal from the Trump administration would have allowed gas stations to add an EV-charging icon to their logos but it did not permit advertising other types of fueling facilities. The latest MUTCD revision allows charging station owners to display their unique logos, which will help drivers identify facilities that have connectors compatible with their vehicles. It also authorizes highway agencies to post signs indicating the number of miles to the next EV charging station. The manual establishes minimum requirements (detailed in the article) that a charging station must satisfy to advertise its services. In addition to mainstreaming EV charging as a highway service, the manual revision slightly loosened some requirements applicable to conventional gas stations. EV proponents say the newly authorized signage will not only benefit EV owners, it will send an important signal to drivers of gas-powered vehicles that the EV charging network is growing, a message that may help reduce range anxiety and encourage EV adoption.
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Service Plazas US Department of Transportation (USDOT)These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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