GREENE – About 70 people came out Wednesday for a second public hearing on pavement, safety and drainage improvements proposed for a 5.5 mile stretch of state Route 12 in the Town of Greene.
The estimated $16.9 million project would replace a long deteriorating, 30 plus year-old section of Rt. 12 from just south of Genegantslet Road to just north of Harbor Road in the Town of Greene and improve the intersection overlap of routes 41 and 206.
The project also includes enhancements that were recommended back in the late 1990s by a Chenango County Chamber of Commerce task force. Phase One of the task force’s resulting corridor study was completed in October of 2002.
The project’s design phase is now scheduled to be completed in the summer next year, with construction slated to begin in the spring of 2012, ending in fall 2013.
The primary project objective of the project is to address the pavement, bridges, culverts, drainage and overall safety. Secondary enhancements called for by the Chamber’s Rt. 12 Task Force would improve reliability and mobility with the addition of north and south bound turning lanes and a passing lane.
The amount of funding that will be let next year will largely depend on next year’s budget. Earmarks, in particular, are currently being threatened by the U.S. Senate’s Republican-majority.
According to Region 9 Project Manager John Fitzgerald, funding for the improvements would come out of the DOT’s capital projects program. Completing the enhancements would largely depend upon a $7 million federal earmark secured by New York State Senator Charles Schumer.
“The Task Force was very instrumental in securing earmarks for the project, and the DOT recognizes that Rt. 12 is an important corridor and we are committed to preserving it now and in the future,” said Fitzgerald.
David Hamburg, Region 9 public information officer, said that in the event the enhancements cannot be funded, the project will address the pavement, drainage, safety and specific recommendations.
The hearing was necessitated due to modifications made during the project’s design phase and subsequent additional property acquisitions. A total of 50 right-of-ways will be required to widen Rt. 12, improve drainage and allow for onsite detours for bridge work and maintaining streams. One residential home will be relocated.
