Governor David A. Paterson today announced he has recently certified an additional $23.1 million for transportation projects in Western New York through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This critical funding will go toward much-needed highway and road repair, bridgework and other long-term improvements to the region’s infrastructure and will create an estimated 554 jobs.
Governor Paterson’s most recent certification, a requirement under ARRA provisions to ensure accountability and transparency of federal economic recovery expenditures, brings to $32 million the total in ARRA funding so far obligated to Western New York.
“I want to thank President Obama and the entire New York State Congressional Delegation for their work to secure this crucial funding,” Governor Paterson said. “In funding these infrastructure projects we create jobs and make lasting improvements to roadways and bridges. These investments will get New York back on the road to economic recovery and headed toward a safer, more efficient future.”
New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) Executive Deputy Commissioner Stanley Gee said: “These additional federal funds for highway and bridge improvements and preventative maintenance projects will help enhance safety and extend the useful life of Western New York’s transportation infrastructure. Governor Paterson is dedicated to using these key federal funds to create and maintain jobs that are essential to strengthening the Western New York economy.”
Governor Paterson has recently certified $56.6 million in projects in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara counties, which includes $23.1 million in ARRA funding. Specifically, the projects include:
• $2.5 million of ARRA funding for a $10.9 million project to rehabilitate approximately 6.5 miles of Interstate 86 eastbound in the towns of Randolph and Cold Springs and the village of Randolph, all in Cattaraugus County. The project is addressing deteriorating pavement conditions. The project is scheduled for completion this summer;
• $2.8 million of ARRA funding for a $20.2 million to rehabilitate approximately 12 miles of Interstate 86 in the Towns of Sherman, North Harmony, and Ellery, in Chautauqua County. Eleven miles eastbound and 1 mile westbound will be improved. Project completion is fall 2009;
• $1 million of ARRA funding to replace the bridge for NY Route 20 over Bell Creek in the Town of Westfield, Chautauqua County. The existing bridge will be replaced with 3-side pre-cast concrete bridge. Project completion is winter 2009;
• $7 million of ARRA funding for a $11.4 million project to reconstruct Maple Road for 1.6 miles from Route 62 to Flint Road -- the entrance to State University of New York at Buffalo -- in the Town of Amherst, Erie County. The project will also reconstruct and widen North Bailey Avenue for 0.4 miles from Maple Road to Romney Road in the Town of Amherst, Erie County. The project will also include new sidewalk areas and closed drainage improvements. Project completion is fall 2010;
• $2.3 million of ARRA funding for a $3.8 million project to construct four new local roads in support of the Inner Harbor Redevelopment Plan, City of Buffalo, Erie County. The four roads are Lloyd, Hanover, Perry, and Prime Slip. Project completion is fall 2010;
• $500,000 of ARRA funding for a $2.3 million project to paint eight bridges in various locations in the city of Buffalo and town of Tonawanda, Erie County. The bridge painting is preventive maintenance. Project completion is summer 2010;
• $700,000 of ARRA funding to mill and re-pave highway access ramps with a single course overlay. Ramp locations, all in Erie County, include: N.Y. Route 78 in the towns of Clarence and Amherst, N.Y. Route 263 in the town of Amherst, N.Y. Route 33 in the town of Cheektowaga, N.Y. Route 240 in the towns of Cheektowaga and Amherst, Interstate 290 in the town of Amherst. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings to extend the service life of pavement. The project is scheduled for completion this summer;
• $500,000 of ARRA funding to replace joints on various bridges along the NY Route 33 corridor in the city of Buffalo and town of Cheektowaga, Erie County. The project is scheduled for completion this fall;
• $200,000 of ARRA funding to seal pavement cracks on federal aid-eligible routes in northern Erie County. Sealing surface cracks in asphalt helps prevent moisture from infiltrating beneath the pavement surface, extending the pavement’s service life. The project is scheduled for completion this summer;
• $100,000 of ARRA funding to repave a one-mile portion of U.S. Route 20A (Quaker Street) in the village of Orchard Park, Erie County. The project will address deteriorating pavement conditions. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings to extend the service life of pavement. The project is scheduled for completion this summer;
• $500,000 of ARRA funding to repave a 5.8-mile-long section of N.Y. Route 39 in Erie County, from N.Y. Route 75 in the town of Collins to Trevett Road in the town of Concord. The project will address deteriorating pavement conditions. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings to extend the service life of pavement. The project is scheduled for completion this summer;
• $700,000 of ARRA funding to repave a 3.5-mile-long portion of N.Y. Route 249 in the Town of North Collins, Erie County. The project will address deteriorating pavement conditions. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings to extend the service life of pavement. The project is scheduled for completion this summer;
• $200,000 of ARRA funding to seal pavement cracks on federal aid-eligible routes in southern Erie County. Sealing surface cracks in asphalt helps prevent moisture from infiltrating beneath the pavement surface, extending the pavement’s service life. The project is scheduled for completion this summer;
• $700.000 of ARRA funding to repave a 3.7-mile-long portion of N.Y. Route 425 in the town of Cambria, Niagara County. The paving will extend from Upper Mountain Road to N.Y. Route 104. It will address deteriorating pavement conditions. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings to extend the service life of pavement. The project is scheduled for completion this summer;
• $1.9 million of ARRA funding to repave a 10.4-mile-long portion of N.Y. Route 77 in the towns of Lockport and Royalton, Niagara County. The project will extend from N.Y. Route 31 to the Genesee County line. It will address deteriorating pavement conditions. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings to extend the service life of pavement. The project is scheduled for completion this summer;
• $1.3 million of ARRA funding to repave a 5.8-mile-long portion of NY Route 429 in Niagara County. The project will extend from Lockport Road in the town of Wheatfield to N.Y. Route 104 in the towns of Cambria and Lockport, where the centerline of the road is the municipal boundary. The project will address deteriorating pavement conditions. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings to extend the service life of pavement. The project is scheduled for completion this summer;
• $200,000 of ARRA funding to seal pavement cracks on federal aid-eligible routes in Niagara County. Sealing surface cracks in asphalt helps prevent moisture from infiltrating beneath the pavement surface, extending the pavement’s service life. The project is scheduled for completion this summer.
Senator Bill Stachowski said: “This new round of federal stimulus funding for infrastructure projects located here in Western New York will allow us to continue our agenda of creating and retaining jobs while providing residents with safer highways and bridges. I’m especially happy to see that new streets will be taking shape in and around the Erie Canal Harbor area. I’ve been pursuing these funds the last several years, and this should be seen as another piece of the puzzle we are assembling on Buffalo’s waterfront.”
Earlier this month, Governor Paterson announced that in addition to the projects receiving ARRA funding, the DOT will award $75 million in highway and bridge contracts this fiscal year and Western New York also will receive approximately $32.9 million in Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funding, based on restoration of funds to the State budget because of ARRA. In total, Western New York communities will receive more than $180 million in highway and bridge funding in State Fiscal Year 2009-10.
New York is expected to receive approximately $26.7 billion in ARRA funding over two years, which the White House estimates will create or retain 215,000 jobs. The economic recovery funds coming to New York for transportation projects must follow the same process required for distributing all federal transportation funds. The funds are allocated to projects that are selected by the 13 regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO’s) across the State, which are comprised of local elected officials, local transit operators and members of the DOT. MPO’s vote unanimously on projects for their Transportation Improvement Program, and economic recovery funds will be directed to projects on those lists.
Similarly, regions of New York without MPO’s are served by the DOT, which consults with local elected officials and selects projects for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. The Department is working with local officials and the Governor’s Economic Recovery Cabinet to identify priority shovel-ready projects eligible for recovery funds.
