Backups are still inevitable at the Rexford Bridge at rush hour, some drivers said.
Congestion has always been worse for motorists who drive south to Schenectady in the morning and then north toward Rexford in the afternoon.
Christopher Najewicz of Niskayuna does the opposite drive every day, so he’s usually not stuck in traffic. But living just off Balltown Road, he sees his share of backups in the line of cars headed north after work.
And Najewicz used to be stuck in that traffic himself when he commuted to Albany and then came home driving north on Balltown.
That line has been shorter since the state Department of Transportation widened Route 146 between the Rexford Bridge and Riverview Road, extended the northbound right-turn lane there and added left-turn lanes on the north- and southbound sides of the road.
“It seems like the turn lanes mostly help in the evening commute when most are headed into Clifton Park after work,” Najewicz said. “I have noticed that the frequency of backups, which sometimes extend past our house, has definitely decreased since the road work.”
Another motorist agrees.
“I remember the old way, and the new way is better,” said Paul McDonald of Niskayuna, who is retired and traverses the bridge to Rexford about once a month. “The old way was hard to turn onto Riverview Road.”
DOT worked on the intersection from August to November. The stretch of road sees 22,700 vehicles a day, said Carol Breen, DOT spokeswoman.
DOT has been discussing replacing the 1930s bridge for years and will continue that discussion with the public later this year or early next year, Breen said.
The state is currently in the “scoping process,” studying options for improving the roadway.
“The next step is going out to the public with the list of alternatives,” Breen said. “We’re hoping to go to the general public probably late this year or early next year.”
Previously, the replacement was discussed as part of a larger project.
“We’ve been talking about it and thinking about it for a long time,” Breen said.
State officials previously have planned to widen the Route 146 corridor from two to five lanes and replace the bridge.
“We don’t know exactly what we’ll be doing,” Breen said. “We’re trying to get the right fit and fit it into the schedule at the right time when we have funding for it.”
Categories: Schenectady County
