A $40 million project to repave a stretch of the Northway from Guilderland to Malta begins this week, the state Department of Transportation announced.
The first $18.7 million phase of the two-part project began Tuesday. It will resurface Interstate 87 from the Mohawk River to Exit 11 in Malta, spanning the towns of Clifton Park and Halfmoon, according to the Transportation Department.
The second phase, totaling $22 million, is scheduled to begin later this spring. The resurfacing will occur from the Northway’s intersection with Western Avenue in Guilderland and stretch through Albany and Colonie to the Mohawk River.
Work is expected to be completed this fall, except for a 2-mile stretch from the Mohawk River to Exit 8 in Halfmoon, which will be completed next summer to accommodate a bridge construction project, the state said. Most of the work will be done at night to minimize delays, but drivers traveling at night should look out for lane closures and detours.
The project will repave about 113 lane miles — or the total miles of traffic lanes covered on the approximately 20-mile route. It is one of the most traveled upstate corridors, with over 100,000 vehicles traversing it daily, according to the Department of Transportation.
State highway workers plan to remove the top layer of the road and replace it with a new asphalt that improves traction and drainage. Other upgrades include new reflective pavement markings, new traffic sensors, modernized sidewalks at highway ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and new guiderails as needed. It is part of a statewide program to resurface over 4,000 lane miles in 2026 through a $600 million infusion into the Department of Transportation’s paving program.