On Wednesday, November 19 a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to reopen the Modena Service Area, located on the southbound side of the NYS Thruway between Exits 18 and 17. This is the final Service Area to reopen that was part of a redevelop project that completely rebuilt 23 Service Areas and rehabilitated four more along the 570-mile Thruway system at a total cost of $450 million. The NYS Thruway Authority stressed that this project was part of a private-public partnership with Applegreen and Blackstone and that no tax dollars were used for construction.  The Service areas are open 24/7, 365 days a year.

 

In addition, 2,000 jobs were created that racked up a total of 1.5 million work-hours of construction. Since 2022, when the first three service areas reopened to the public, more than 68 million customers have availed themselves of their services.

 

In a press release, Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “New Yorkers should be able to make a pit stop along the Thruway without breaking the bank and that’s why we’re investing in service area redevelopments that give people affordable and convenient options to take a break from the road. Whether you’re visiting family, checking out a State Park or just passing through, we’re committed to offering the best travel experience New York has to offer.”

 

The Modena Service Area includes a number of restaurants: Popeyes, Burger King, Pret (opening soon), Auntie Anne’s (opening soon), Dunkin’ (Drive-Thru), Applegreen C-Store and Taste NY Food and Drink Products.

 

Additional amenities include a Childrens Playground, Outdoor seating, a Dog walking area, a Private nursing area for mothers and a Digital tourism kiosk.

 

The 27 Service Areas will have four universal, level 3, fast charging EV stations with up to 350kW of power that support all electric vehicles, including Tesla and up to 12 chargers at the larger locations. Currently, there are 103 universal fast charging (Level 3) stations available on the Thruway.

 

NYS Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson advised the NYS Thruway Authority on the project and has supported funding for this vital roadway.

 

“I think the Thruway is a big deal and I had been getting a lot of complaints about Service Areas not having bathrooms,” he said, “When it comes time for the state budget I will praise them for getting this done.”

 

NYS Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said the Service Areas are part of a $2.7 billion, five year modernization project that will also reconstruct certain roadways and 819 bridges that span the Thruway.

 

“I often describe it as holding back the ocean; we can pave a couple of miles here but it’s not done and then we move on to another section of the Thruway,” he said.  

 

When work commenced on the Service Areas, Hoare said they staggered the sites, “so there would be no two in a row that were closed. At one point there were ten undergoing construction but instead of 30 miles between Service Areas it was about 60 miles, so people traveling would not have to go 100 miles and have the least inconvenience as possible.”

 

Hoare said Covid significantly impacted the supply chain, causing delays and spikes in costs. He said four out of the 27 Service Areas, “are strategically placed and have locker rooms, showers and washing machines for truckers, who have voiced appreciation for these amenities.”    

 

Hoare said the Thruway Authority’s goal is to provide safe, affordable and convenient stops along the Thruway; come in and use the facilities.”

 

Bob Etchingham, Executive Chairman of Appelgreen, founded his business 33 years ago in his native Ireland and specializes in travel plazas. In the past two decades his business has continued to expand, first in the UK and now in nine states with 113 plazas, mostly in the northeastern U.S. “We are a one-stop shop and this is all we do. We have relationships with more than 20 food franchises and look after all of the day to day operations on a site like this and at a lot of places we do the fuel as well and also install EV chargers.” Applegreen has a 30 year concession agreement with the NYS Thruway, employing about 2,000 people who oversee and run the 27 Service Areas.

 

Etchingham closed his remarks, saying, “We are absolutely delighted that we’ve come to the end of the construction program and because of Covid it was a particularly hard project for us. We fell behind a bit but caught up in the last 18 months and stuck with it and got it done in the end.”