Palisades Interstate Parkway

Cost: $53 million

Development Team

Owner: New York State Department of Transportation
Palisades Interstate Park Commission
General Contractor: Granite Halmar Construction Co., Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Demolition Contractor: Sessler Wrecking, Waterloo, N.Y.
Fencing Contractor: Village Dock, Inc., Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.
Stone Masonry Contractor: GraniteWorks Inc., Deer Park, N.Y.
Landscaping Contractor: Old Oak Environmental Restoration Inc., Fort Plain, N.Y.

The largest single paving project in the history of the New York metropolitan region was completed last year.

An unprecedented 22 miles of the Palisades Interstate Parkway, in addition to 10 exit/entrance ramps, were renovated from the New Jersey State border to Exit 10, both north- and southbound.

The project included installing 240,000 tons of highway and two bridges. It involved the removal and replacement of 300,000 ft. of concrete curb, placement of 250,000 tons of asphalt, installation of 1,100 catch basins with 40,000 ft. of related drainage pipe and creation of 100,000 ft. of new guide rail - all while maintaining the flow of traffic. The general contractor for the two-year job was Granite Halmar Construction Co. of Mount Vernon, N.Y.

To keep traffic and the construction process moving as fast and efficiently as possible, Halmar built temporary roadway widenings that did away with the need to narrow traffic to one lane and allowed construction to continue at a steady pace.

In contrast to the usual "crossover" plan, which involves the construction of temporary median crossings to facilitate traffic switches into single-lane bidirectional traffic, Halmar's approach allowed for the usual flow of traffic in both directions and for exit/entrance ramps to be fully operational at all times. It also eliminated the need for night work and created a safer work zone.