Summer is nearly over, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of road construction in Erie County.
Roughly 1,000 miles of county roads are being worked on this year, but it’s not the only source of major projects. The I-90 and I-190 are undergoing construction by the New York Thruway Authority.
That means officials have to consider how different road closures could impact each other but also how it influences changes in cost, County Executive Mark Poloncarz said.
“If there's some very large projects like you see with the Thruway on the 190, and on the main 90 itself, that can hold up an entire contractor or multiple contractors working on that project, which means they will not bid on county project because they have such a big one that they have to do otherwise.”
Included in this year’s work is Borden Road, which is entering Phase 3 of a $27 million, multi-year project. The Borden Road project is expected to finish in 2027.
Road construction might be a major for the Department of Public Works, but that means more than just tearing up old roadways and paving new ones, Deputy Commissioner of Public Works Karen Hoak said.
“We've had some decent weather this year, but our paving schedule is determined by whether it's raining or not. So, we are going to be making use of every good weather day that we have until the snow flies, as temperatures allow," she said. "They're out patching potholes, doing maintenance work, trimming trees.”
The high amount of construction increases the need to be aware of closures, Hoak added. Residents can follow the department’s social media pages for updates on when work is being done and which areas are impacted.
