L&T Construction, Richmondville, N.Y. has won the bid for a three-mile-long highway construction project in Binghamton, N.Y., known as the Prospect Mountain Phase I. L&T made the lowest bid at about $135 million, beating out 10 other companies whose bids reached as high as $157 million, says the New York State Dept. of Transportation.

The project includes the convergence of Route 17 and Interstate 81 with I-88. The project will also help bring up to interstate standards an eight-mile section of Route 17 that was designed in the mid-1960s to handle 35,000 vehicles but now handles twice that amount, NYSDOT says.

Phase I is scheduled to begin this fall. The second phase, aimed at eliminating weaving movements at the intersection of Route 17 and I-81, is scheduled to begin in 2015.

The first phase of the project will include construction of nine new bridges, four of which to be built over the Chenango River. Seven of the bridges will replace 1960’s-era structures with contemporary designs, and two new bridges will be built at the partial interchange off Route 17, replacing the Mygatt Street exit. The existing bridges and their high highway shoulders with be widened to reduce vehicle conflict along Route 17 and I-81.

The capital improvement project is NYSDOT’s largest one located in the Upstate region, says NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald. “This project will enhance mobility and improve safety at one of the state’s major crossroads, helping to ease highway travel and support economic development throughout the region.”