The New York State Thruway Authority released the results from a statewide enforcement campaign to reduce bridge strikes caused by overheight vehicles.
NYS Thruway Cracks Down On Commercial Vehicles
Officials say that during the fourth quarter of 2024, 30 enforcement details were conducted in partnership with the New York State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit (CVEU) along the New York State Thruway for the purpose of curbing bridge strikes and increasing overall safety.
During the 30 enforcement events on the Thruway in October, November, and December, officers conducted 3,767 commercial vehicle inspections, and 997 out-of-service orders were issued. Additionally, 7,301 tickets were issued for various violations, including 31 for overheight vehicles.
According to the Thruway Authority, there have been 231 bridge hits reported on the New York State Thruway’s 570-mile system since 2020, and 56 reported bridge strikes in 2024 alone.
Overheight Detection Systems Installed
In addition to the enforcement details, the Thruway Authority also installed and activated overheight vehicle detection systems at two locations in Central New York in December 2024.
The systems warn drivers that their vehicle is overheight by activating an illuminated warning sign.
The new systems are located at the Parking/Rest Areas on I-90 eastbound at mile marker 250 between exit 33 (Verona-Rome) and exit 32 (Westmoreland – Rome) and I-90 westbound at mile marker 256 between exit 33 (Verona-Rome) and exit 34 (Canastota-Chittenango-Cazenovia-Oneida).
Since 2020, the three most frequently hit bridges on the Thruway are as follows:
- Middle Black Brook Road at mile marker318.57 over I-90 in Seneca County. It has been hit 31 times – 16 times since 2023.
- North Grand Island Bridge Northbound on I-190 over the Niagara Scenic Parkway in Niagara County. It has been hit 23 times with eight hits in 2024 to date.
- South Broadway over I-87 at mile marker 16.44 in Rockland County. It has been hit 14 times with three hits to date in 2024.