Innovation Of Skyway Recognized By American Council of Engineering Companies

January 29, 2020

With support from Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Councils initiative, Capitalize Albany Corporation completed a 2018 Skyway feasibility study and the project’s preliminary design. This study and the Skyway’s design, guided by public input and conducted by the design firm Stantec, has prepared the Impact Downtown Albany-informed Skyway project to advance.

The Corporation-led REDC Round VI project was made possible by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. 

The Skyway is a unique infrastructure renewal project that is certain to become a Capital Region destination. It will be one of the first projects of its kind, converting an elevated interstate ramp into an ADA-compliant linear park.

As part of its Excellence Awards, each year the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New York recognizes projects that are judged on a rigorous set of criteria – including complexity and innovation. Stantec received a Diamond Award for its work on the Skyway project as part of the 2020 Engineering Excellence Awards. 

Located in Albany’s $10 million awarded Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) zone in Clinton Square, the Skyway will serve as a vital connection between downtown, the Arbor Hill and Sheridan Hollow neighborhoods, Albany’s warehouse district, and Albany’s Corning Riverfront Park. This project will ultimately result in the conversion of the underutilized I-787 northbound exit ramp from Quay Street to Clinton Avenue to create a multi-modal linear park, complete with a landscaped promenade, event spaces, and a foot path. 

With Governor Cuomo’s support and more than $10 million invested by the state, construction on this innovative project is planned to start this year. New York State’s investment will enhance the park with amenities that will maximize both the use and impact of this new, transformational asset.