Special enforcement effort on NYS Thruway aimed at over-height trucks

The New York State Thruway Authority recently announced the results of a statewide commercial vehicle enforcement campaign on the 570-mile New York State Thruway system, designed to reduce bridge strikes caused by over-height vehicles.

The enforcement initiative was conducted in partnership with the New York State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit. During the months of October, November and December, 30 enforcement details were held in various regions along the Thruway leading to 7,301 violations issued including 31 for over-height vehicles.

Enforcement details were held in all four Thruway Authority Maintenance Divisions across the state during the fourth quarter of 2024. The results are as follow:

• 3,767 commercial vehicle inspections performed
• 997 vehicles placed out of service
• 7,301 tickets issued

Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “Bridge hits on the Thruway system are a safety issue and can cause considerable damage to our infrastructure resulting in countless delays for motorists and the diverting of critical resources from highway maintenance and upkeep. The law requires drivers to know the height of their vehicle to mitigate these avoidable incidents and with the increasing number of trucks on the roads, it’s incumbent upon drivers to be vigilant to keep traffic moving.”

Since 2020, there have been 231 bridge hits reported on the New York State Thruway’s 570-mile system, including 56 reported bridge strikes in 2024. One of the most serious incidents included the South Broadway overpass in South Nyack, which was struck by an over-height tractor-trailer on Aug. 31, 2023. Due to the hit, all southbound lanes of I-87/I-287 were closed for 15 hours on Sept. 9 to facilitate the removal of two damaged girders to stabilize the overpass.

Since 2020, the three bridges on the NYS Thruway that have been hit the most are:

• Middle Black Brook Road at milepost 318.57 over I-90 in Seneca County. It has been hit 31 times – 16 times since 2023.
• North Grand Island Bridge Northbound on I-190 over the Niagara Scenic Parkway in Niagara County. It has been hit 23 times with eight hits in 2024 to date.
• South Broadway over I-87 at milepost 16.44 in Rockland County. It has been hit 14 times with three hits to date in 2024.

According to NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law, the height of a vehicle from under side of tire to top of vehicle, inclusive of load, shall be not more than 13 feet, 6 inches. For anything above 13 feet, 6 inches, a Special Hauling Permit application is required for consideration to travel on the Thruway.