$42M to Improve Travel Along Interstate 88

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that work is underway on a pair of projects that will rehabilitate key stretches of Interstate 88 in Schoharie and Otsego counties, enhancing safety and resiliency along a major artery that connects the Capital Region with the Catskills and the Southern Tier. Taken together, the two projects represent a nearly $42 million investment that will resurface approximately 40 lane miles of pavement and make other improvements to the highway that will ease travel through this important corridor. The highway stretches from just outside of Albany to the Binghamton area and is often used to reach some of New York’s most popular tourist destinations, including the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and Howe Caverns in Cobleskill.

“Investing in roads and bridges helps to ensure the well-being and long-term prosperity of our local communities and of our entire state,” Governor Hochul said. “These projects along Interstate 88 will provide improved mobility for thousands of motorists who travel this vital highway every day and enhance the resiliency of one of our most important arteries for the flow of people and commerce in New York.”

Work recently started on a $15.7 million project that will rehabilitate a 5.5-mile stretch of the highway in both directions from the Schoharie/Otsego County line to Exit 20 in Richmondville, Schoharie County, overlaying the existing concrete surface with a two-inch fiber reinforced top course of asphalt to provide smoother travel. Existing road joints will also be repaired.

The eastbound lanes will be resurfaced this year and motorists should expect single lane closures for the entire length of the construction zone. In 2026, work will switch over to the westbound lanes. Completion is expected by the end of the 2026 construction season.

The resurfacing project complements work that got underway last year on another project that is resurfacing a 4.3-mile stretch of I-88 between Exits 18 and 19 in the towns of Worcester and Maryland, Otsego County. The $26 million, two-year project also includes the repair of 10 culverts and the installation of new guide rail. Additionally, the bridges that carry I-88 over South Hill Road will undergo bearing and pedestal replacements.

Currently, crews are working on the westbound side of this stretch of the highway. One lane of traffic in each direction is separated by concrete barrier on the eastbound side of the highway. Construction is expected to wrap up later this year.

Once these two projects are complete, there will only be one stretch of the highway remaining with concrete from the original construction of I-88, which began in 1968. A project for that area between Exits 16 and 17 is in the design phase.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Governor Hochul’s commitment to renewing our critical infrastructure and connecting communities is unwavering and this investment in Interstate 88 is another demonstration of that. These improvements will provide smoother travel, as well as enhanced safety and resiliency of our infrastructure along this vital highway, facilitating continued economic growth and the long-term prosperity for our local communities.”

Senator Charles Schumer said, “Thanks to millions from my Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, we are paving the way for key improvements to Interstate 88 to create a more prosperous and safer future for motorists and visitors from the Capital Region to the Southern Tier. This project will repair key stretches of the I-88 between the Binghamton area and Capital Region, improving traffic flow along this vital corridor while creating good-paying jobs. I’m grateful that Governor Hochul is putting these federal dollars to good use to improve safety and connectivity for Upstate New Yorkers.”

Representative Josh Riley said, “I-88 connects our farms, our small businesses, and our families to the rest of the state—and to each other. Fixing it means safer roads, stronger local economies, and a better quality of life for the folks who live and work here. I’m proud to help deliver federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and grateful to see it being put to work where it counts.”

About the Department of Transportation

It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment, and supports the economic well-being of New York State.

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