What’s all that noise coming from the Thruway?  Workers are adding a third travel lane in each direction for 7 miles of the New York State Thruway between Exit 23 (Downtown Albany, I-787) and Exit 24 (Albany, I-87), which passes right by Great Oaks Office Park.

For now, traffic will continue to flow through the area primarily using lane shifts and shoulder closures.

The project, due to be completed in 2013, will also include removing existing pavement – some of it more than 55 years old.  The new third lane of traffic will be built primarily in the existing median.  Additionally, some trees and vegetation have been cleared on both sides of the highway, in part, to upgrade the storm water drainage system.

Further clearing will be necessary in order to install noise barriers.  The last planned sound barrier, closest to exit 24, spans Woodlake Apartments, adjacent to Great Oaks, as shown in the image below. The corner of Great Oaks Building 300 is at the uppermost part of this image: