| Patroon Island Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Elevation | |
| Carries | New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) |
| Crosses | Hudson River |
| Locale | Albany, New York |
| Official name | Patroon Island Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Deck truss bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 1,795 feet |
| Width | 89 feet |
| Height | 60 feet |
| Longest span | 375 feet |
| History | |
| Opened | 1968 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | 2-axle vehicles: $2.50 cash, $1.70 EZ-PASS (both directions) |
The Patroon Island Bridge is a steel deck truss bridge carrying the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) over the Hudson River in Albany, New York. The bridge opened in 1968 and is the second busiest crossing of the Hudson River, second to only the George Washington Bridge in New York City, which is also the busiest bridge in the world.
The Patroon Island Bridge carries the official designation of Interstate 90 through the center of Albany. About 3 miles downstream, the Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge carries the Berkshire Parkway, a spur route of the New York State Thruway, which is officially signed as New York State Reference Route 912T, the “T” standing for “toll”. However, the Berkshire Parkway is often incorrectly referred to as Interstate 90, due to the fact that except for the Berkshire Parkway, Interstate 90 is signed as the New York State Thruway or some spur of said Thruway for its entire length in New York.
The Patroon Island Bridge, being a part of the New York State Thruway System, charges a toll for traffic traveling in both directions. 2-axle vehicles paying cash are charged a toll of $2.50, and 2-axle vehicles with EZ-PASS or a compatible equivalent are charged a reduced toll of $1.70. The toll discount is increasingly being used by many states and private toll road authorities to encourage motorists to use some method of pre-paid or electronic tolling, as it can prevent traffic backups at toll booths, especially on very busy highways.