GUILDERLAND — As part of the $5.7 million project, the New York State Thruway Authority has approved funding for 10 sound barriers along the Thruway, in order to reduce rising motor-vehicle noise levels in residential areas around the Capital District.

Three sound barriers are slated for construction in McKownville along the Thruway.

The McKownville Neighborhood Association is hailing the Thruway allocations as a major victory, but says more needs to be done.
"It’s great," said the association’s president, Don Reeb. "We did want to get it extended to Schoolhouse Road, but it is still a good thing."

The association wants to get another sound barrier approved for the area along the western portion of Schoolhouse Road.

Five other locations, besides the Schoolhouse Road section, were cut from the original 15 sound barriers that the state’s Thruway authority had considered.

Portions of the Thruway will reconstructed as part of the same project. The dilapidated concrete base is to be reconstructed and a third lane will be added in each direction of the Thruway. Thruway authorities say this will help cut down on traffic jams.

The two-year construction project will begin in 2009.

The sound barrier locations and cost are as follows:

— Along Townwood Drive, Green Hill Court, Sand Pine Lane,
and McKown Road the barrier will cost $1.58 million;

— Along Vaughn Drive and McKown Road the barrier will cost $347,000; and

— Along the Strawberry Lane Condominiums the barrier will cost $336,750.

Faster E-ZPass

Also, the New York State Thruway Authority announced it will earmark $3.5 million for E-ZPass improvements from Albany to Buffalo.

The money will be used over the next six months in order to enhance E-ZPass services, create more lanes, have 40 additional higher-speed lanes, and embellish signs.
Thruway Authority Executive Director Michael Fleischer said in a released statement, "With these improvements, approximately 56 percent of Thruway toll lanes will be available for dedicated E-ZPass use."

Currently, 47 percent of all Thruway toll lanes throughout the New York State system are dedicated E-ZPass lanes.

In the Albany Division, the authority wants to add 17 higher-speed lanes. At least one high-speed lane will be added to the Exit 24 interchange in Albany.

No lanes are being added to the Guilderland exit, according to the New York State Thruway Authority.