Earlier today, Friday July 12th, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that construction has begun on a $634.8 million project to replace the Livingston Avenue Rail Bridge, which will replace the Civil War-era passenger rail bridge spanning the Hudson River between the cities of Albany and Rensselaer; and provide a modern crossing that will improve service and reliability along New York State’s Empire Corridor and throughout the entire northeast. Governor Hochul also announced a $10 million award to demolish the Central Warehouse, a blighted building in Downtown Albany, pieces of which have fallen onto nearby rail tracks disrupting Amtrak service for thousands of New Yorkers.

“We'll be restoring the two-track operation. Increasing the train speeds from 15 miles per hour to 40 – more than doubling it, building a reliable lift bridge and signal system." stated Governor Hochul. "We're going to create a bike path and a pedestrian walkway that'll connect bicyclists and walkers across the river... That's why I made the commitment saying, “No, we've waited long enough. This community has waited long enough. Our passengers have waited long enough. And we're going to make sure we get this done.”

“A new day has dawned," continued the Governor. "We are announcing $10 million from New York's Restore program to accomplish what has been so challenging in the past, and that is the demolition of this tower of neglect, the Central Warehouse. Let's get it done. Both of these projects send a signal. This is a community that matters. It's worth investing in. Its people are worth investing in and these will both connect our communities in better ways.”

PRESS RELEASE