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WPCNR ROAD RAGE. News and Comment by John F. Bailey. November 14, 2017:

During the one-day, all day monsoon that hit White Plains on October 29, I went on a trip to Boonton New Jersey. It was my first trip over the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. The trip across the bridge in the driving rain to and from was complicated especially at night because the bridge in my opinion is not well lit and the lanes are not well marked with white broken lane lines that, in my opinion should “glow” when headlights hit them. They don’t. I was so busy trying to stay in the somewhat narrow lanes that it created a lot of anxiety.

The other criticism I have of the bridge is that the pavement feels a lot like the 50-year old bridge. It is bumpy because of the recessed drains in the lanes that thunk  as your tires go over them. They could throw you off when they “snow up” in coming winter storms. There are a large number of these recessed drains smack dab in the lanes.  Since I was concentrating, I did not notice if there were drains in all four lanes. But really, the trouble with the old bridge was the pavement unevenness, and now on the new one they have the same thing.

Not as bad, mind you, I did not like the unevenness. Admittedly the bridge is not complete. It is really not finished, but those drains are here to stay and I don’t like them. You feel them and if someone hits them at high speed above the limit…well they could spin out of control. Of course, no one will speed across the Mario M.Cuomo Bridge. They would not dare.

So, beware of the Cuomo “Pothole Drains” when crossing.

Now to the bigger issue—worn out lane markings-on major highways

Lane markings on the New York Thruway approaching and departing the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge have for years had notoriously invisible lane markings . They are faint in broad daylight. At night they are dim. In a real rain as I drove through October 29, you cannot make the lanes out. They don’t “bright up” when headlights, even on bright, hit them. This creates anxiety and guesswork trying to figure out whether you are in the lane or not. Especially when the truck-drivin’, SUV riders, at BMW and Mercedes Hot Rodders floor it even in bad weather.

In my opinion, the lane markings on the thruway and the Cross Westchester Expressway and the Cross County Expressway need remarking with a state-of-the-art, pick-up-the-headlight strips.

It is a safety issue that has long existed and it is a disgrace the Thruway did not pick out better lane markings for the new bridge. Hopefully those are only temporary and they will be replaced when the second span is opened and the final 16 lane span is completely opened. They should think about it needs to be done.