Hochul will fund construction of ten new Thruway exits — including at least two in Western New York

(December 22, 2021) — Sources close to Governor Kathy Hochul say that she will include money in next year’s Thruway Authority budget to construct at least ten new exit interchanges on the Interstate 90, between the Pennsylvania and Massachusetts state lines.

At least two of those new Thruway exits will be located in Western New York: at Southwestern Boulevard in Hamburg, and at Youngs Road in Amherst.  Two more Western New York locations — at Gunnville Road near the Lancaster Speedway, and at South Newsted Road near Akron — are being considered, though discussions with the Thruway Authority have been ongoing.

The infrastructure projects aim to make fuller utilization of the Interstate across Western and Upstate New York, making it easier for far-flung rural communities to access the highway.

“With cashless tolling systems, it’s much easier and much less expensive to construct new highway on and off ramps, because toll plazas are unnecessary,” the source explains.  “This is going to make it really easy to add access ramps all across the State.”