A major construction project that would overhaul the interchange of 390, 490 and Lyell Avenue in Gates has been delayed.
The New York State Department of Transportation answered questions about the project Monday night at Gates Town Hall.
The first phase- replacing the Lyell Avenue bridge- was originally scheduled to begin in 2014. Now, that project has been pushed back to 2015.
"The bridge is the cornerstone of the whole project," said DOT Regional Public Information Officer Lori Maher. "If it were easy to fix we would have done that."
Despite the delay, the estimated $13.1 million bridge replacement is the only phase that is currently funded and moving forward. The final three stages will compete with other regional projects for funding.
Those final stages include a $50.2 million overhaul of the 390 Northbound and Lyell Avenue Corridor that would eliminate dangerous weave conditions at the 490 West to 390 North interchange. Drivers exiting 490 West to 390 North currently have only a few hundred feet to merge onto 390 before the exit to Lyell Avenue.
Phase two of the project, tentatively scheduled to begin in 2017, would raise the Lyell exit on a bridge over where 390, 490, and Lyell currently meet, eliminating the need to avoid the exit with a dangerous merge.
According to the DOT, there were 935 accidents along the 390/490/Lyell Avenue Interchange last year.
"We know how many accidents are happening," said Project Manager Mohan Rao. "In order to address the issue of mobility and safety, we need this project."
Phase 3 of the project involves $80.9 million modifications to 390 Southbound, and phase 4 would mean $8.4 million in construction along the Lyell Avenue Corridor.
"They're high price tag improvements," Maher said, "but we have high price tag problems."
The phases are expected to be 80 percent federally funded, 20 percent state funded. The DOT's tentative construction completion date is 2023.
"It's amazing that the design team was able to take so many of the ideas and suggestions and complaints from the community members and incorporate them into the final design," said Community Involvement Team member Eric Wolfe, a Gates resident who was recruited to provide feedback and community guidance after the project's first public workshop in July, 2010.
The DOT has held three public workshops and information meetings and a number of smaller feedback sessions since then, and residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the interchange elected to have modern noise barriers installed along parts of 390 and 490.
"The people I've talked to are all saying 'it's about time,'" Wolfe said. "If the groundbreaking were tomorrow it wouldn't be too soon."
A major construction project that would overhaul the interchange of 390, 490 and Lyell Avenue in Gates has been delayed.
The New York State Department of Transportation answered questions about the project Monday night at Gates Town Hall.
The first phase- replacing the Lyell Avenue bridge- was originally scheduled to begin in 2014. Now, that project has been pushed back to 2015.
"The bridge is the cornerstone of the whole project," said DOT Regional Public Information Officer Lori Maher. "If it were easy to fix we would have done that."
Despite the delay, the estimated $13.1 million bridge replacement is the only phase that is currently funded and moving forward. The final three stages will compete with other regional projects for funding.
Those final stages include a $50.2 million overhaul of the 390 Northbound and Lyell Avenue Corridor that would eliminate dangerous weave conditions at the 490 West to 390 North interchange. Drivers exiting 490 West to 390 North currently have only a few hundred feet to merge onto 390 before the exit to Lyell Avenue.
Phase two of the project, tentatively scheduled to begin in 2017, would raise the Lyell exit on a bridge over where 390, 490, and Lyell currently meet, eliminating the need to avoid the exit with a dangerous merge.
According to the DOT, there were 935 accidents along the 390/490/Lyell Avenue Interchange last year.
"We know how many accidents are happening," said Project Manager Mohan Rao. "In order to address the issue of mobility and safety, we need this project."
Phase 3 of the project involves $80.9 million modifications to 390 Southbound, and phase 4 would mean $8.4 million in construction along the Lyell Avenue Corridor.
"They're high price tag improvements," Maher said, "but we have high price tag problems."
The phases are expected to be 80 percent federally funded, 20 percent state funded. The DOT's tentative construction completion date is 2023.
"It's amazing that the design team was able to take so many of the ideas and suggestions and complaints from the community members and incorporate them into the final design," said Community Involvement Team member Eric Wolfe, a Gates resident who was recruited to provide feedback and community guidance after the project's first public workshop in July, 2010.
The DOT has held three public workshops and information meetings and a number of smaller feedback sessions since then, and residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the interchange elected to have modern noise barriers installed along parts of 390 and 490.
"The people I've talked to are all saying 'it's about time,'" Wolfe said. "If the groundbreaking were tomorrow it wouldn't be too soon."
