Truckers criticize upcoming renovations to Thruway service areas

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Posted: July 9, 2021 / 1:23 PM EDT / Updated: July 9, 2021 / 1:35 PM EDT

ALBANY, NY (WSYR) Scheduled renovations and temporary closures mean it may take a little longer to find a service area on the New York State Thruway starting in late July.

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The New York State Thruway Authority announced Wednesday that construction will begin July 29 on the $ 450 million projects to upgrade the 27 Thruway service areas. While the renovations will bring popular new restaurants, like Chick-fil-A and Shake Shack, and even a Taste NY farmer’s market, not everyone is happy with construction fast approaching.

You’re going to make it more inconvenient for the people who use it the most, said truck driver Jay Poquadeck. He added that service areas are like havens for truckers, not only a place to go to the bathroom and grab a bite to eat, but they are often places where truckers sleep and make sure their cargo is safe and intact. .

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He believes that by closing 10 rest areas at a time, the remaining open areas will be crowded and dangerous. It’s a lot of problems you’re going to have you’re going to have pollution, you’re going to have liters, you’re going to have people doing things they shouldn’t be doing on the side of the road so it’s not Of course, if they want to do it, they will have to do it quickly, Poquadeck said.

This concern is taken up by the new truck driver Luis Serrano. He is worried about not finding a parking space in the service areas to park his large truck, especially in bad weather. But for everyday travelers like Alice McGinnis, inconvenience is the price to pay for progress. She says she looks forward to the changes.

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McGinnis said she is also anxious to have healthier food options, as the plan incorporates Taste NY farmer’s markets in some locations. When they’re done, it’ll be really cool, and we’d probably be more likely to plan to have some meals here. Because we usually try to have snacks and keep going, so if there are healthier options and things that we would rather eat, then I could see where we would stop more and use them, she said. .

For now, travelers are hoping the bumps in the road are worth the wait.

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