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.
Additional strips of property were needed to address storm water runoff at the intersection of Rt. 12, 206 and County Road 41.
The number of turning lanes were reduced, including an alignment at the South Slater Road intersection.
“Obviously, cost is a big issue,” said Marc Broder, the project’s manager for the New York Department of Transportation’s Region 9.
Some specific improvements include: The majority of the roadway within the project area will be widened to accommodate turning and passing lanes. The bridge over the Genegantslet Creek Overflow will be replaced. The concrete slab bridge over Birdsall Creek will be widened to accommodate the new three-lane section. Culverts will be lengthened, replaced or rehabilitated and improvements will be made to the closed drainage system at the State Route 206 intersection.
The Route 12 Task Force’s enhancements call for: turning lanes on Rt. 12 from Rt. 206 and 41; pavement and shoulder improvements from Laurel Road to South Chenango Street on Rt. 12; the addition of turning lanes on Rt. 12 at the intersection of Wheeler Street; and shoulder improvements on Rt. 12 from Rt. 41 to county road 3A (Harbor Road).
Snapshots of each intersection that would be addressed were available for viewing before the public hearing. Property owners were able to comment formally. Most were concerned about inadequate water drainage along the highway and at intersections, as well as heavy, fast moving truck traffic.
Janet Frost said the record breaking floods of 2006 left her West Julian Hill Road neighborhood with “dangerous water drainage issues” that affected the intersection of Genesee Street and Rt. 12. She suggested that they be addressed in the plan as a priority.
Barbara Vanderbunt of Greene said she was disappointed that a turning lane at Rt. 3A and Harbor Road had been eliminated from the project’s scope. “It’s rare that somebody doesn’t go around you while you are waiting to turn there. It’s very dangerous,” she said.
Town of Greene Supervisor Jack Cook fielded questions from affected landowners following the presentation. He said the overall design was good news for the entire corridor, particularly for the Raymond Corporation.
“They are a real good neighbor to everyone in the community. They aren’t asking for much. They don’t have room to turn their cars and trucks as it is now. It’s too dangerous,” he said.
The State Route 12 Pavement Rehabilitation Project document is available for reading at the Chenango County Office Building in Norwich, the Town and Village of Greene Offices and at Moore Memorial Library in the village.