By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Regional transportation planners began the process Wednesday of approving several major highway projects in the region that are earmarked for federal funding.
Congress included millions of dollars last year for 36 transportation projects in the region. Tim Trabold of the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council said his agency gave the green light yesterday to 21 of them.
Trabold said at the top of the list is an extension of the Route 219 expressway.
"$9.8 million is earmarked for this project," Trabold said. "It will extend Route 219 beyond its current terminus at Route 39 about three-and-a-half miles south."
Another key project is reconstruction of Transit Road from Main to Genesee. Trabold says that will alleviate a traffic bottleneck at Transit and Wehrle Drive.