OBSERVER Photo by Natasha Matteliano Pictured are Matthew Latko, Buffalo Division Director and Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll during the press conference Tuesday.

SILVER CREEK — The stretch of the New York State Thruway through the Seneca Nation is completely fixed, allowing the speed limit to return to normal, 65 mph.

On Tuesday, the New York State Thruway Authority announced the completion of a major capital project to an approximately four-mile section of the NYS Thruway that traverses the Cattaraugus Territory in Western New York.

The $20.8 million project included the complete repair and rebuild of approximately 14 lane miles of the Thruway and additional safety enhancements. This included new drainage, guard rails and subbase. The project was completed weeks earlier than scheduled and on budget.

“Our focus from the start was to provide a safe and reliable roadway that the millions of drivers that travel this section each year deserve, and I am proud to announce that we have delivered on that promise weeks earlier than planned,” Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll said. “We thank the Seneca Nation for their partnership and for working with us as we completed this project which utilized Nation employees and equipment.”

Originally started in the fall of 2019, the two-phased project included the complete repair and rebuild of approximately four miles of the Thruway, or 14 lane miles, on I-90 between exit 57A (Eden – Angola) and exit 58 (Silver Creek).

“It wasn’t just a rebuild of the roadway as you see it, but really the infrastructure that supports this section as well,” Driscoll said. “We have delivered on our promise to get this completely rebuilt.”

During the project, crews used approximately 125,000 tons of asphalt pavement and more than 20,000 tons of gravel subbase to completely rebuild the roadway down to the concrete base. The project also included additional safety enhancements including the replacement of more than 20,000 linear feet (approximately 3.75 miles) of guide rail, drainage improvements, and new roadway striping for enhanced visibility.

“It’s been a strong partnership all the way around that’s really made this become a reality today, on time and on budget,” Driscoll said. “Now that the construction is over, we are back to full speed on that stretch of the Thruway.”

The contractor, Union Concrete and Construction Corporation of West Seneca, completed the second phase of the project. Crews generally worked 24-hour shifts, six days a week. At the peak of construction, Union Concrete used a workforce of 50 employees on site each day.

The reduction of the volume of motorists on the Thruway due to COVID-19 assisted in getting the project done a month early, explained Driscoll. “We’ve had really good weather, and the reduction in volume really helped it the most,” he said. “This has helped other projects of ours as well, such as the cashless tolling system.”

The Thruway Authority, according to the contract with the Seneca Nation, is now able to do routine maintenance without having to agree on another contract.