Phase III works start at Kew Gardens Interchange in New York, US
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDoT) has initiated the third phase of construction works at Kew Gardens Interchange in central Queens in the US, with an investment of $110m.
As part of the works, the existing deteriorated two-lane Van Wyck Expressway southbound viaduct over the Grand Central Parkway will be replaced with a continuous three-lane bridge.
In addition, new exits will be constructed at the westbound Union Turnpike and the Jackie Robinson Parkway.
The three-lane viaduct from the Van Wyck Expressway will be merged with two lanes from the Grand Central Parkway over a longer distance.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "Our transformative investments in roads and bridges help support economic growth across New York, and the Kew Gardens Interchange project will revitalise deteriorating infrastructure and support the vitality of the Queens community.
"The third phase of this major project will expand upon the improvements already accomplished with the first two legs, and will help ensure this roadway can meet the needs of current and future generations of New Yorkers."
Said to be a complex intersection, the Kew Gardens Interchange is used by more than 200,000 vehicles.
The project is being carried out in four phases and is intended to improve safety, as well as traffic movement on Interstate 678 (Van Wyck Expressway), the Grand Central Parkway, and Jackie Robinson Parkway.
NYSDOT intends to make several operational improvements with four construction contracts at the interchange worth almost $700m.
At present, Phase IV is in the preliminary engineering/environmental phase, with the design-build procurement process set to start in November.
