Sick of 5-8-12 Ramp Closures? Wait 'til You Hear This News!

There's new breaking news regarding the 5-8-12 bridge replacement in New Hartford. Over the last year, 2 of the 4 ramps at the intersection have been closed as the NYS DOT replaces the Rt. 8/840 bridges.

DOT spokesperson Jim Piccola reported on Thursday morning that a change is coming. Piccola says that phase 1 of the project is about to be completed and within 2 weeks, all ramps will be re-opened until phase 2 of the project begins in the spring.

Piccola says that all ramps will reopen to traffic, and Route 8 will be running with 2 lanes each, north and south. The northbound lanes will use the newly constructed bridge and the southbound lanes will utilize the old bridge for traffic through the winter months.

Piccola says that the contractor working on the bridge is on schedule and their workforce, to his knowledge, has not been affected by COVID.

The new ramp openings will allow for southbound traffic to exit from the arterial to Route 840 towards Middle Settlement Road and Commercial Drive, as well as the exit to Route 8 South towards New Hartford and Washington Mills.

Piccola says construction on phase 2 and the construction of the southbound bridge will resume sometime in the spring of 2022.

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