Motorists traveling on the New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) in Suffern should expect temporary traffic changes next week as crews begin implementing a new traffic pattern for an ongoing bridge rehabilitation project, according to the New York State Thruway Authority.
Work will take place Monday night, March 30, and Tuesday night, March 31, impacting both northbound and southbound lanes. Three travel lanes in each direction will remain open throughout the construction.
On Monday starting at 7:00 p.m., northbound lanes will be shifted to the right, with an initial single lane closure followed by two lane closures at 10:00 p.m. Two brief overnight traffic stops are expected, with work scheduled to conclude by 6:00 a.m. Tuesday. On Tuesday night, crews will perform similar work in the southbound direction from 7:00 p.m. through 5:00 a.m. Wednesday, including lane closures and two overnight traffic stops. The ramp from I-287 in New Jersey to southbound I-87/I-287 will also be closed overnight, with a detour directing motorists to Exit 15A in Suffern.
Under the new configuration, northbound traffic will be shifted onto a section of the bridge over Route 202 that was rebuilt last year, just before Exit 15. Southbound drivers will encounter a split pattern, with two lanes on the right and one on the left, as construction takes place between them.
The work is part of a $19.4 million project to rehabilitate two bridges—each more than 70 years old—located between Exits 14B and 15. The project includes structural repairs, deck replacement, and new bridge joints over the Mahwah River, and is expected to be completed by late 2026.
The contractor for the project is DeFoe Corp..
Drivers are urged to use caution, obey posted work zone speed limits, and follow New York’s Move Over Law while traveling through the area.
