Editor's Notebook October 2023

Craig Mongeau - Editor in Chief - October 2023

It's finally here (well, almost as you could tell by the wrap on this month's cover.) It's early October by the time you receive this issue, but later this month on Wednesday the 18th, the 29th annual N.Y.S Highway & Public Works Expo will be held at the Fairgrounds in Syracuse.

Thank you to all of you who have signed up to exhibit and to those who plan to attend. And again, thank you to our lunch sponsors. When you attend the show, you can receive tickets for a complimentary lunch. Lunch sponsors include: Platinum — Allegiance Trucks, Alta Equipment Company and Tracey Road Equipment; and Bronze — Buyers Products Company, Henderson Products, Milton Cat, Tenco Industries, Viking-Cives and Winter Equipment Company.

And this is an even better thing this year than in previous years. I just read an article that almost half of the NY Thruway rest stops are closed. According to the NY Thruway's website, 13 of the 27 service areas are under construction as part of $450 million project to rebuild most of the rest stops.

According to the NY Thruway, when the project is completed (they're saying in 2024), 23 of the 27 service area restaurant buildings will be rebuilt, with significant renovations and upgrades to the remaining four. Other amenities will include Taste NY markets, modern restaurant concepts, outdoor seating, food trucks, playgrounds, and pet walking areas, among other things.

So, if you're traveling along the Thruway on Oct. 18, chances are pretty high you'll encounter some closed rest stops. You might as well save your appetite, skip the rest stops that are open, and grab a free lunch at the show. Oh, and there'll also be a lot of new equipment and services you can check out while at the Expo.

In this issue, the Expo's comprehensive exhibitor listings start on page 52. There are a lot of them, and they'll be showcasing basically everything you and your crews need to get the job done. That said, there are still some exhibit spaces left. Please contact Teddy McKeon at 215/885-2900 or tmckeonjr@cegltd.com for details.

We look forward to seeing at the show. Oh, and if you would like to nominate someone to be Profiled or if you are a superintendent who would like to be Profiled, please be sure to let us know while you're there. P