State officials announced the start of a $54.4 million structural steel repair and seismic retrofit project on the South Grand Island Bridges, the twin spans that carry I-190 over the Niagara River between Grand Island and the Town of Tonawanda.
Project scope and timeline
The work includes seismic retrofits and steel repairs to strengthen key structural elements, deck surface treatments to improve roadway friction, replacement and reopening of the southbound sidewalk, and repairs to catwalk access and fall protection for maintenance crews. The New York State Thruway Authority and Governor Kathy Hochul’s office say traffic impacts are expected to be minimal during the project, which is scheduled to be completed in late 2028.
Funding
More than 70 percent of the project funding comes from a federal grant: the Thruway Authority received a $39 million award in 2024 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s PROTECT program, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The state says the total project cost is $54.4 million.
Local context
The South Grand Island Bridges are twin truss-arch spans, each carrying one direction of I-190. The southbound bridge was completed in 1935 and the northbound span in 1963. State material provided with the announcement notes that more than 68,000 vehicles cross the bridges daily.
Officials’ statements
Governor Kathy Hochul called the investment a measure to keep New Yorkers safe and to preserve a critical transportation link for Western New York. New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare emphasized the bridges’ importance to regional travel and commerce. Senator Charles Schumer noted his role in securing the federal grant and said the funding will boost resilience and create construction jobs.
Related Thruway investments
The announcement also referenced the Thruway Authority’s 2026 budget and capital plan: the authority says its approved 2026 budget anticipates more than $600 million in capital contracts to be awarded in 2026 and outlines a $2.8 billion capital plan for 2026–2030 that would fund bridge preservation and resurfacing projects across the system.
This article is based on a New York State press release from the Governor’s Office and Thruway Authority.
